If I were sensible I should go on holiday for about a week as we have reached a stage where we have harvested everything which is ready and although we are desperate to get the job finished, neither the spring barley nor the Lupins are anywhere near fit. Both will need at least a week to be combinable and in the mean time I am driving everyone mad pacing about and walking the fields in the feeble hope I can hurry the process along!
However, holidays are not on my agenda so my attention must for the time being be directed away from my concern for the late harvest, and instead concentrate on the last few weddings of the season at Ote Hall and the new fledgling enterprises which are starting up at Randolphs Farm.
We already have the recently opened new personal training R8 Fitness Studio in The Longstall run by Rob Smith. This is proving popular and quite a draw to the local community and beyond, who also appreciate the beautiful farm location.
Several clients have found that following a strenuous workout out with Rob, they can then stretch their limbs with a gentle jog along the track which leads directly to the top of the Downs.
On Saturday 14th September a new shop at The Barn, Randolphs Farm will open specialising in French Antique and Vintage furniture. This unique business is the brain child of founders Rachel and Danny Mawson, and will offer an array of one-off pieces of original French furniture ranging from vintage Rococo bed frames, antique French armoirs, shabby chic tables, ornate mirrors and much more.
Danny and Rachel have been trawling the French countryside visiting local antique fairs and brocantes to find the best examples of vintage furniture. Some pieces have been restored and updated in Shaby Chic style and others left to show off their original French style.
Customers will be offered a ‘custom painting service’ which allows them to up-date their own furniture or a piece they find at The barn. With regular trips to France to re-stock the shop, they are also able to source furniture on request.
Come along to Randolphs Farm on Saturday 14th September and check out these two interesting new businesses and enjoy a welcoming glass of wine in this unique rural setting.
The hot dry weather which is ongoing in the US maize producing regions is causing concern over the yields. This turn of events has resulted in the grain prices bouncing up by around £10 per ton. This small price rise is welcome although it is still well below the £220 per ton we realised for our wheat last year. It also looks like US soya yields are also effected by the dry spell, so I am hopeful I may also get an improved price for the Lupin seed.
Several farmers have reported near misses with the confounded Chinese lanterns which continue to be launched into the sky most weekends. The call to ban these fire hazards which are also a danger to livestock appears to be growing. There have been yet more cases where farmers have found burnt circles in ripe corn fields which could, if the conditions were right, have possibly destroyed the entire crop.
I regularly pick up lantern debris which is dotted around the farms hanging from hedges, laying in the grass and as was the case last week, lying beside the Dutch Barn which is now completely full of straw and hay.
Even if there is not a total ban of Chinese Lanterns it would perhaps be helpful if their release was restricted to the winter months when livestock are generally housed and the wires are less likely to become entangled in pastures ear marked for hay, silage or grazing and could perhaps be more easily spotted. And tinder dry crops ready for harvest would naturally not be an issue at that time of year.
As someone said, it seems crazy that the litter police will pounce upon a mother whose child has dropped the core of an apple in the street and issue a fine but hundreds of Chinese Lanterns are currently lawfully allowed to be launched into the sky, all of which will invariably land somewhere and even if the landing does not cause a potential problem it is still litter. It’s a funny old world!
Carola Godman Irvine
However, holidays are not on my agenda so my attention must for the time being be directed away from my concern for the late harvest, and instead concentrate on the last few weddings of the season at Ote Hall and the new fledgling enterprises which are starting up at Randolphs Farm.
We already have the recently opened new personal training R8 Fitness Studio in The Longstall run by Rob Smith. This is proving popular and quite a draw to the local community and beyond, who also appreciate the beautiful farm location.
Several clients have found that following a strenuous workout out with Rob, they can then stretch their limbs with a gentle jog along the track which leads directly to the top of the Downs.
On Saturday 14th September a new shop at The Barn, Randolphs Farm will open specialising in French Antique and Vintage furniture. This unique business is the brain child of founders Rachel and Danny Mawson, and will offer an array of one-off pieces of original French furniture ranging from vintage Rococo bed frames, antique French armoirs, shabby chic tables, ornate mirrors and much more.
Danny and Rachel have been trawling the French countryside visiting local antique fairs and brocantes to find the best examples of vintage furniture. Some pieces have been restored and updated in Shaby Chic style and others left to show off their original French style.
Customers will be offered a ‘custom painting service’ which allows them to up-date their own furniture or a piece they find at The barn. With regular trips to France to re-stock the shop, they are also able to source furniture on request.
Come along to Randolphs Farm on Saturday 14th September and check out these two interesting new businesses and enjoy a welcoming glass of wine in this unique rural setting.
The hot dry weather which is ongoing in the US maize producing regions is causing concern over the yields. This turn of events has resulted in the grain prices bouncing up by around £10 per ton. This small price rise is welcome although it is still well below the £220 per ton we realised for our wheat last year. It also looks like US soya yields are also effected by the dry spell, so I am hopeful I may also get an improved price for the Lupin seed.
Several farmers have reported near misses with the confounded Chinese lanterns which continue to be launched into the sky most weekends. The call to ban these fire hazards which are also a danger to livestock appears to be growing. There have been yet more cases where farmers have found burnt circles in ripe corn fields which could, if the conditions were right, have possibly destroyed the entire crop.
I regularly pick up lantern debris which is dotted around the farms hanging from hedges, laying in the grass and as was the case last week, lying beside the Dutch Barn which is now completely full of straw and hay.
Even if there is not a total ban of Chinese Lanterns it would perhaps be helpful if their release was restricted to the winter months when livestock are generally housed and the wires are less likely to become entangled in pastures ear marked for hay, silage or grazing and could perhaps be more easily spotted. And tinder dry crops ready for harvest would naturally not be an issue at that time of year.
As someone said, it seems crazy that the litter police will pounce upon a mother whose child has dropped the core of an apple in the street and issue a fine but hundreds of Chinese Lanterns are currently lawfully allowed to be launched into the sky, all of which will invariably land somewhere and even if the landing does not cause a potential problem it is still litter. It’s a funny old world!
Carola Godman Irvine
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