The weather in September and now into October is perfect for autumn drilling. Looking around the county, it is also good to see maize being harvested, and seasonal ploughing matches taking place in the glorious autumn sunshine.
After coping with the wet winter, late and very wet spring, and over hot dry summer, it makes one really appreciate this weather we are enjoying in the South East, even more.
Our Vicar likes to involve his congregation, and he did not miss a trick at the Harvest Festival Service on Sunday.
Having enrolled two kids, one representing the ‘good farmer’, the other the ‘bad farmer’, and other assorted participants, his story for ‘Harvest Festival’, began.
The narrative went along the lines that, ‘the good farmer sowed the wheat in his field’. At this point our eager young good farmer happily trotted down the aisle scattering her invisible wheat seeds.
‘Later, under the shadow of darkness, his wicked neighbour stealthily crept into the field casting weed seeds’. This little actor took her roll very seriously, portraying the bad farmer as a Fagan character, and proceeded to slither along the aisle sowing her evil bounty.
The vicar then explained that when the good farmer saw the weeds amongst the wheat, when they germinated, he was aghast but realised that if he pulled up the weeds, the chances were he would also pull up some wheat and damage the crop.
So he decided to leave well alone until harvest time, when he and his team of helpers pulled up the weeds, burnt them, and harvested the remaining wheat.
The simplicity of the story is touching, but one was tempted to interrupt and explain that if the good farmer had an efficient agronomist, he would have recommended spraying off the weeds early on, before they did too much damage to the crop.
By leaving the weeds, they will have compromised the wheat, by competing for nutrients in the soil, smothering a proportion of the crop, and most certainly lowering the yield of wheat considerably.
Modern agriculture is criticized as being too industrialised and damaging to the environment. If we farmed today as in Biblical times, we would all be very hungry, thin, and there would be far fewer of us.
It is tempting to suggest Mr Gove, is trying to turn the clock back. His lack of recognition that farmers feed the nation, is deeply concerning.
Whilst on matters of the countryside, it is extraordinary that the David Hockney stained glass window recently unveiled in Westminster Abbey, has not received howls of protests.
This window apparently reflects the Queen’s love of the countryside, by depicting the Yorkshire landscape, was commissioned to celebrate the Queen’s reign.
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, said, ‘It is a modern jewel that will shine for 1,000 years and more in our most ancient abbey, our church of celebration. It is a magnificent national treasure, which we are lucky to have been given’.
With the greatest respect, the Dean ‘should have gone to Spec Savers’! What on earth Her Majesty will think when she sees this ghastly window, designed on an iPad, will be interesting but for sure we shall never know. A child of three year old could have done a better job.
What an insult to both Her Majesty and the Nation’s historic Westminster Abbey. To have such a vulgar thing planted amongst the beauty and exquisite craftsmanship in this wonderful building is criminal, and a shocking legacy to leave as an example of craftsmanship in the 21st Century.
Political party conferences are pointless. The only purpose is to massage the egos of a few narcissistic politicians, give the press and media something to focus on and sensationalise, and the town they are staged in some extra income as delegates’ party the nights’ away.
After coping with the wet winter, late and very wet spring, and over hot dry summer, it makes one really appreciate this weather we are enjoying in the South East, even more.
Our Vicar likes to involve his congregation, and he did not miss a trick at the Harvest Festival Service on Sunday.
Having enrolled two kids, one representing the ‘good farmer’, the other the ‘bad farmer’, and other assorted participants, his story for ‘Harvest Festival’, began.
The narrative went along the lines that, ‘the good farmer sowed the wheat in his field’. At this point our eager young good farmer happily trotted down the aisle scattering her invisible wheat seeds.
‘Later, under the shadow of darkness, his wicked neighbour stealthily crept into the field casting weed seeds’. This little actor took her roll very seriously, portraying the bad farmer as a Fagan character, and proceeded to slither along the aisle sowing her evil bounty.
The vicar then explained that when the good farmer saw the weeds amongst the wheat, when they germinated, he was aghast but realised that if he pulled up the weeds, the chances were he would also pull up some wheat and damage the crop.
So he decided to leave well alone until harvest time, when he and his team of helpers pulled up the weeds, burnt them, and harvested the remaining wheat.
The simplicity of the story is touching, but one was tempted to interrupt and explain that if the good farmer had an efficient agronomist, he would have recommended spraying off the weeds early on, before they did too much damage to the crop.
By leaving the weeds, they will have compromised the wheat, by competing for nutrients in the soil, smothering a proportion of the crop, and most certainly lowering the yield of wheat considerably.
Modern agriculture is criticized as being too industrialised and damaging to the environment. If we farmed today as in Biblical times, we would all be very hungry, thin, and there would be far fewer of us.
It is tempting to suggest Mr Gove, is trying to turn the clock back. His lack of recognition that farmers feed the nation, is deeply concerning.
Whilst on matters of the countryside, it is extraordinary that the David Hockney stained glass window recently unveiled in Westminster Abbey, has not received howls of protests.
This window apparently reflects the Queen’s love of the countryside, by depicting the Yorkshire landscape, was commissioned to celebrate the Queen’s reign.
The Dean of Westminster, the Very Rev Dr John Hall, said, ‘It is a modern jewel that will shine for 1,000 years and more in our most ancient abbey, our church of celebration. It is a magnificent national treasure, which we are lucky to have been given’.
With the greatest respect, the Dean ‘should have gone to Spec Savers’! What on earth Her Majesty will think when she sees this ghastly window, designed on an iPad, will be interesting but for sure we shall never know. A child of three year old could have done a better job.
What an insult to both Her Majesty and the Nation’s historic Westminster Abbey. To have such a vulgar thing planted amongst the beauty and exquisite craftsmanship in this wonderful building is criminal, and a shocking legacy to leave as an example of craftsmanship in the 21st Century.
Political party conferences are pointless. The only purpose is to massage the egos of a few narcissistic politicians, give the press and media something to focus on and sensationalise, and the town they are staged in some extra income as delegates’ party the nights’ away.
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