Archived News

9th October2009

I collected over 2,000 sausages today from Bradfords Farm Butchery.  Kathy spent the morning bagging sausages whilst Michael and I cut and wrapped the shoulder and leg joints and chops from the 7 pigs. I returned to the farm to sell14 boxes of pork and have put the remaining meat in the freezer ready to sell or eat ourselves.

Just a few sausages!

At the same time I had a call from Mike who came to scan Prudence and Phoebe.  As it happens, Prudence is now squirting milk at all angles if you gently squeeze a teat, so she is very close to farrowing.  The scan just confirmed that she has large piglets...ready to farrow.  Shall I put myself on the line to say it could well be tomorrow?  The scan shows that Phoebe is also pregnant and not far behind her sister; Mike thinks within ten days.  In the spring, Phoebe’s pregnancy was slightly shorter than Prudence’s.  Phoebe is a smaller gilt and very gentle, who knows how she might surprise us this time.

Mike scans Prudence and can see the piglets in his special glasses.

Last check of Prudence...at 1.40am and she is sleeping.

Farming is not all about getting more land on which to grow crops or livestock, or sitting on copious committees; it is about making the right decisions to grow local produce, filling a niche, connecting with the public who are the very people buying British food.  I talk to so many more people/customers, when I sell Belted Galloway beef or our home grown pork, than we would if when selling the cross bred cattle to abattoirs or supermarkets.

The feed-back today from those buying my pork, who are also my Belted Galloway beef customers, is that they think the beef surpasses anything else they can buy and they are pleased that they can buy local pork from a well known source.  (This is the first pork I have sold!) Our boys ate the freshly made Manor Farm sausages tonight (well, technically, last night) and just raved about them!!

1,991 sausages to go!