Archived News

2nd May 2008

It has been another very wet week, making work far more difficult and many fields too wet to work. However we are finally seeing some grass growing and have been able to turn cattle out to pasture at Chapel Farm, Westhumble.

On 1st May DEFRA Secretary Hilary Benn approved the release of the first batch of Bluetongue vaccine, closely followed by a second batch, providing 3 million doses to vets in the east of England.  Gradually it will be available county by county in a westward direction and can only be administered within the Protection Zone. Vets can order the vaccine once they have a confirmed order from farmers, it cannot be stock-piled in anticipation of orders. The vaccine must be kept refrigerated and once a vile is opened it must be used within 8 hours.  We are hopeful that our vaccine, about 1,100 doses will be ready for collection next week.

We had 23 children from Wyke School Normandy (near Guildford) visit Manor Farm yesterday. Another very rewarding school visit with natural enthusiasm and inquisitiveness from the boys and girls, who were keen to see and be allowed to touch (with lots of hand washing afterwards) the cattle and sheep and to feed the hens.  The children were fascinated by the size of machinery; tractors, the seed drill and the combine harvester.  As we farm 200 acres at Normandy, it was good to relate to children who go to the nearby school.  The children are going to look out for the combine harvester during the summer and the tractor and trailers carting the corn back to Wotton.  It would be nice to think of these children making further farm visits throughout their school years and broadening their knowledge as they get older, possibly looking at food security, changes and development in agriculture and biofuels.

Laurence holding the lamb