Back to basics

Look!  A three furrow plough.Dad has worked like a demon to complete the ploughing.  With only the Poor Field to go - poor by name, poor by nature, he went back to basics to get through some wet, heavy land without wrecking the tractor.  Apparently, it is better adjusted than the four furrow.  Bonus!

Unfortunately, with the ploughing completed, work stopped to rescue the JCB which was a little stuck in the barn.Time to crack out the shovels and dig for victory, but with our muscles struggling and the tractor unable to pull it out, we needed the big guns...so The Mighty Nuffield swung into action.Which makes you wonder why we use any modern machinery!

After my earlier destructive episode - bringing down the power cables to the farm with the JCB loader, it's safe to say we are being uber-careful as these things tend to come in threes.Perhaps we should offer our first bull calf of 2013 to the Gods, and name it after JCB's founding father, 'Mr Bamford'?

Quite the Bulldozer!

Blame it on the weather girls

It's still too wet to plough, and we're playing a waiting game.  Making that wait bearable, our newest heifer.  A full house of girls so far in 2013.  Bingo!Cattle are excellent weather forecasters.  By now, we'd expect every weak ray of sunshine to have the cows lining up at the gate, bawling to be let out to our green and pleasant farm.  But they're fine and peaceful in the barn thank you very much.  The lambs may be gambolling at Wiston, but our bovine weather girls are telling us we're not out of the woods yet.

We are extremely lucky to be in a good position.  Don't get me wrong, we'd rather have the cows out, but last year's weather provided us with enough hay, straw and silage to keep the cows in the luxury to which they have become accustomed.  However, across Britain, the story is one of farming in crisis.  A perfect storm of weather, disease and market prices are having devastating consequences for farmers.  In their own words, it is "a bitter irony" that the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution are sending supermarket vouchers to farmers in need.  There are rich farmers, and there are poor farmers, just as in any industry.  No-one is enjoying the increasing "recession-busting" cuts, but I cannot urge you strongly enough to Buy British and show your support for British Agriculture.

Back to one 'Great British Farmer proud to produce Great British Food' (he likes that title).  When Farmer Humph is not weather-watching or trying out the plough, he's busy splitting one of the Massey 690s.  This is his second in a year, and Grease Monkey Humph is a mechanical genius...which is just as well, because he's got to resplit the other one!So, if there are any Massey engineers out there, who fancy a country jaunt this weekend...may we recommend the Transition Nayland Equinox Walk.  Click here for more information...toolkit provided.

Triple 'B'

Every mother appreciates an audience when giving birth....but learning the facts of life can be a little much for the weak of heart.In the past week, the youngsters have learnt a lot as three calves joined the herd.  First to arrive, Bathsheba:

Followed by a Mother's Day surprise with unusual ears:It being the year of 'B', we couldn't name her 'Foxy' or 'Photoshop Gone Wrong'.  Fortunately, Blossom  was the name picked using our random number generator (...Humph picking a number between 1 and 13.  Took several attempts and explanation that 14 was not a valid choice).  Congratulations to Lesley Parkins and Douglas Fryer for a very apt name!

And finally, a first-time calf for a giant heifer:

We welcome Betsy to the world!  A good, strong name for a sizeable calf, suggested by Sue Fuller.  Betsy, born in a snowstorm, has decided that she will only sit in patches of snow.

More calves to worry Farmer Humph at the end of March!

No rest for the newborn

No. 100, my favourite cow, has calved!  And unlike every other cow, refused to calve until we followed her into the barn, so I'm adding 'Cow Doula' to my CV.

But  if this little heifer thought she deserved a rest after the birth experience, with an excellent mother like No. 100...think again:

Guaranteed to get a calf up and moo-ving.(...towards the annoying photographer.)

2013 is the Year of the 'B'.  First name out of the hat: 'Bathsheba ' - congratulations to Diana Jackson.  Special mention for Mrs Bennett, the first ginger heifer born will a 'Boudica'.  Inspired!

4000 views old

We're waiting for the 'Beast from the East', there's a strong smell of honey emanating from the stable, the doves are gathering so the world may be ending, but that's okay because whoever takes over will have to fix the gutter anyway!

Today we're celebrating over 4000 blog views (and my birthday!), so here's a birthday kiss from the farm.

Thanks for reading.

(We hope this hasn't put you off!)

Back to the future

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..it's more 1993 than 2013.

Happy New Year!  We hope your hangover isn't quite as epic as this...

Boxing Day calf

Not an 'Angel' but an 'Angelo', born this morning at 01:00.

Hopefully, a calf with better table manners than the delinquents in the background.

A Sty with a View

The piglets are now happily ensconced in their new quarters - open plan studio apartment (ark) with uninterrupted views across the river to Nayland Airfield, cricket bat willows and general Stour loveliness. Ever considered living in a sty?  I have.

This 'pig's-eye' view of the world shows how perfect the site is for the trio, but they'll have to work for that view.  In fact, once they make it to the end of the track, they add Wiston Mill to the panorama.

To thank them, we generously removed the Take Put found beneath the brambles.  And if you were wondering what this does, Dad's description "You take things, and put them somewhere else...somewhere you forget about them." is pretty accurate.  He's been searching for this for some time, so has taken it...and put it somewhere else.  Circle of Hell right there.

Thank you to Fryers Farm Shop for the huge quantity of windfall apples.  Like ill-disciplined children, pigs like to play with food and are enjoying rolling them under the fence as an excuse to retrieve them.  We believe they too may be trying to get to Wiston to play with Reggie.

With the piglets settling in, we were joined by a festive offering:

Farmers' luck, calving started 20 minutes before we were due to leave for the carol service.  Fortunately, 'No 1's Calf' is a pro and it was born and up within minutes, so  Humph escaped to deafen the dignitaries of Colchester with a piccolo 'Top G' in  'Angels from the realms...A performance praised by the Mayor himself.  It never ceases to amaze us that even after a lifetime of farming, with farmer hands hewn from endless baler twine knots, he is able to play the piccolo so well.  To show our appreciation, when Humph's piccolo services are required, we briefly allow him to practise in the house, before realising this is a terrible idea (Farm Dog wails) and banish him to the barn - all a little Thomas Hardy until you catch a riff of a sea shanty amid the carols!