The good news is that our young Sussex steers arrived last week. They seem happy, and have boundless energy, most probably due to the particularly long winter which saw them kept under cover for over six months.
It is normal to see them kicking their heels delightedly as they face the freedom of the open fields and lush grass. That spectacle is one we look forward to each year as they rush around checking the boundaries and generally stretching their legs and letting off steam.
What I am not used to is this happening every time I walk out to check them, twice a day, every day. As soon as they see me, they rush over, have a quick chat, then charge off to do a couple of circuits of the field before returning to surround me for a further catch up. I am fine with that, but I am not so sure some of our many walkers will be quite so relaxed being encircled by this lively bunch. Anyway, signs are up making everyone fully aware there are cattle in the fields, so they do have a choice.
We, like most farms have an ongoing struggle with dogs. Despite numerous signs asking owners to keep them on leads as they walk our numerous footpaths, we regularly have dogs running wild.
There seems to be a misunderstanding about the purpose of grass fields. Some consider them to be purely for their enjoyment, an opportunity for their dogs to run loose to do their business. When told these fields are our livestock’s ‘dinner plate’, and the dog mess contaminates the grass causing health problems to livestock, they seem genuinely surprised and often annoyed. I am regularly told it is ‘their right’ as it is a ‘public footpath’.
Last week we began to believe spring was arriving, which was why I had arranged to collect the young stock from various farms. The fields were starting to dry up and the weather was getting slightly warmer. All went well for a few days and then the temperature plummeted, and we have now had a further inch and a half of rain. Hopefully, as May arrives this week, conditions will improve.
It seems as if the authorities have at last recognised that the weather conditions are having a dramatic effect on food production. As I am about to file my copy on Monday, the BBC is reporting to the nation that bread, beer, sugar, and other products face inflated prices due to shortages as crops are rotting in the ground or were never planted.
We are all aware of the law of supply and demand but when government policy encourages farmers to stop food production in return for payments to enhance the environment, one must question on what planet politicians and those occupying DEFRA are living. The situation and potential shortage of farm produced products are also across Europe and other nations.
It is normal to see them kicking their heels delightedly as they face the freedom of the open fields and lush grass. That spectacle is one we look forward to each year as they rush around checking the boundaries and generally stretching their legs and letting off steam.
What I am not used to is this happening every time I walk out to check them, twice a day, every day. As soon as they see me, they rush over, have a quick chat, then charge off to do a couple of circuits of the field before returning to surround me for a further catch up. I am fine with that, but I am not so sure some of our many walkers will be quite so relaxed being encircled by this lively bunch. Anyway, signs are up making everyone fully aware there are cattle in the fields, so they do have a choice.
We, like most farms have an ongoing struggle with dogs. Despite numerous signs asking owners to keep them on leads as they walk our numerous footpaths, we regularly have dogs running wild.
There seems to be a misunderstanding about the purpose of grass fields. Some consider them to be purely for their enjoyment, an opportunity for their dogs to run loose to do their business. When told these fields are our livestock’s ‘dinner plate’, and the dog mess contaminates the grass causing health problems to livestock, they seem genuinely surprised and often annoyed. I am regularly told it is ‘their right’ as it is a ‘public footpath’.
Last week we began to believe spring was arriving, which was why I had arranged to collect the young stock from various farms. The fields were starting to dry up and the weather was getting slightly warmer. All went well for a few days and then the temperature plummeted, and we have now had a further inch and a half of rain. Hopefully, as May arrives this week, conditions will improve.
It seems as if the authorities have at last recognised that the weather conditions are having a dramatic effect on food production. As I am about to file my copy on Monday, the BBC is reporting to the nation that bread, beer, sugar, and other products face inflated prices due to shortages as crops are rotting in the ground or were never planted.
We are all aware of the law of supply and demand but when government policy encourages farmers to stop food production in return for payments to enhance the environment, one must question on what planet politicians and those occupying DEFRA are living. The situation and potential shortage of farm produced products are also across Europe and other nations.
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