Archived News

1st December 2010

Today began the fifth inspection at Manor Farm since March; we guess this is either very bad luck on our part or that someone is out to get us!  This latest inspection has been instigated by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to ensure that we are undertaking all the work assigned to the Higher Level Stewardship scheme.

The inspector began with general paperwork today, but his main task of inspecting the farm can only commence once the snow has melted.  Through the HLS we undertake work not leading to food production but varied and interesting: sowing wild bird mix and nectar rich seed, maintenance of species rich grassland, beetle banks, leaving unharvested, fertiliser-free conservation headlands where last summer’s crop is left to provide food for birds.

As snow fell yesterday it turned to water on the roads and later froze.  Fresh snow settled on top as ‘rush hour’ began; the main road was nose to tail traffic for five hours and cars abandoned last night on remote lanes had been broken into by morning.

Work becomes harder and more time consuming in this wintery weather and the entire day revolves around checking livestock, feeding and bedding up, breaking ice in water troughs, ensuring the more vulnerable younger calves are well and that the automatic milk machines are working; the fan heater should prevent them from freezing solid like last winter.  We brought 27 cattle in to the barn from the fields at Hackhurst.

With one and a half men down, the day felt even longer and haylage was still being carted out to fields in the dark.

More snow has fallen this evening so we shall see what tomorrow brings.