This Monday marked the first day of the lambing season for us. Over the next 6 weeks we will have 300 sheep to lamb and take care of. We are hopeful that the weather will pick up so we can turn the sheep out quite quickly. However, with it being so wet and cold, the grass just hasn’t grown.
It’s harvest time! We have had an incredibly dry spring and summer which has meant that the crops are really far forward. Some people are reporting that this is the earliest they have started harvesting in many years.
After two months, I can safely say that our lambing season is officially over. Thankfully the weather has been kind to us and we have been able to turn the ewes and lambs out into the fields quite quickly. The grass is also growing well so there is plenty of food for them all.
Our daffodils are in full bloom, daylight hours have increased and you can feel warmth in the sun – it must be spring! It makes a real difference having more daylight hours in the day. Not only can you get more jobs completed outside but it has a real effect on our laying hens.
The New Year is in full swing and we are starting to feel the benefit from the slightly longer nights. The whiff of spring cannot be too far away and we are already planning ahead at Orchard Farm with new animals and new crops on the horizon.
Isn’t it satisfying to cook a meal from scratch with ingredients you produced yourself? I decided that on a blustering evening I would make toad in the hole with mash potato and cauliflower to accompany along with some meaty gravy.
We are out! Who could of predicted that? I didn’t expect it would happen but here we are, out of Europe. There is no doubt that there will be a lot of uncertainty until everyone can get their head around the idea. And not forgetting that we now have a new Prime Minister.
In the last few weeks we have managed to construct a poly tunnel in the farm garden. We purchased it online for a real bargain and it was swiftly delivered in flat pack style.
We have passed the Spring equinox and can start to enjoy light mornings and longer light in the evening. I am sure that it is a delight for most as you always seem to get more done during the daylight hours don’t you?