We have been blessed with the perfect autumn. Farmers have ploughed the fields and scattered the good seed on the ground. We have fed them and now the good Lord is gently watering them; the timing is perfect.
Will he send some snow in the winter, the warmth to swell the grain? And, then some soft, refreshing rain, breezes and sunshine in the spring to ensure we have a chance for a successful harvest next summer?
The orchards have been heaving with apples and pears, deep freezes are bursting with produce harvested from orchards, gardens and hedgerows.
Our young Sussex cattle are still out happily munching away on the late flush of grass which grew slowly during the spring and summer due to the drought but is now making up for delayed growth. They will stay out until they begin to poach the ground as it gets wetter. But, for now they are enjoying the last of their freedom before they come into the barn for the winter. The lush grass has little nutritional value, so it is supplemented with meadow hay to ensure they continue to thrive.
This week we have our annual TB test which is always a concern until we get the all- clear. I heard from a farmer friend this week that the farm in East Sussex, where he works, has been hit with salmonella which appears to have come from nowhere. They have lost a number of dairy cows and countless calves which have been aborted.
The milk yield is down, and they are unable to sell their young stock. The vets are baffled and have recommended inoculating the cows against salmonella, something I was unaware was possible. Each shot, of which they require at least two, costs over £6. As the herd is over five hundred strong, to date the cost to the farm is way over £100,000. I wonder if the general public, or the government for that matter, understand how events such this, and TB, are devastating and wipe out any possibility of making even the smallest profit.
It is a complete mystery as to why this labour government consistently diverts funding and support away from British farmers and small businesses which in many cases result in redundancies, forced sales and bankruptcy while at the same time, announcing new funding to boost overseas conservation projects.
They prefer to support communities and the environment in Bolivia, forests in St Helena and endangered eagles in the Philippines, than support the endangered family farms which are the backbone of our countryside and rural communities.
The families who run and manage these farms have decades of experience not only looking after the flora and fauna but also the wider environment, as well as producing food to feed the nation.
Of course, it is important to recognise the importance of these and many other overseas projects, but should our government prioritise these above ensuring the UK has enough food and, equally importantly, water to service the millions of additional homes they threaten to build on our green and pleasant land.
They keep bleating about climate change, which I am assured will remain unaffected by any amount of ‘net zero’ efforts introduced on our tiny island, a mere spec in the dirt compared to China, India, Russia, the deforestation of the Amazon and Indonesia, and other major industrialised nations.
So, why are we being penalised in this mad rush to ‘lead the way’. We are the laughingstock of the rest of the world. They think we are bonkers to put our country and businesses in jeopardy just so politicians can climb onto the stage at future COP gatherings, preening themselves while the country is going to the dogs.
Will he send some snow in the winter, the warmth to swell the grain? And, then some soft, refreshing rain, breezes and sunshine in the spring to ensure we have a chance for a successful harvest next summer?
The orchards have been heaving with apples and pears, deep freezes are bursting with produce harvested from orchards, gardens and hedgerows.
Our young Sussex cattle are still out happily munching away on the late flush of grass which grew slowly during the spring and summer due to the drought but is now making up for delayed growth. They will stay out until they begin to poach the ground as it gets wetter. But, for now they are enjoying the last of their freedom before they come into the barn for the winter. The lush grass has little nutritional value, so it is supplemented with meadow hay to ensure they continue to thrive.
This week we have our annual TB test which is always a concern until we get the all- clear. I heard from a farmer friend this week that the farm in East Sussex, where he works, has been hit with salmonella which appears to have come from nowhere. They have lost a number of dairy cows and countless calves which have been aborted.
The milk yield is down, and they are unable to sell their young stock. The vets are baffled and have recommended inoculating the cows against salmonella, something I was unaware was possible. Each shot, of which they require at least two, costs over £6. As the herd is over five hundred strong, to date the cost to the farm is way over £100,000. I wonder if the general public, or the government for that matter, understand how events such this, and TB, are devastating and wipe out any possibility of making even the smallest profit.
It is a complete mystery as to why this labour government consistently diverts funding and support away from British farmers and small businesses which in many cases result in redundancies, forced sales and bankruptcy while at the same time, announcing new funding to boost overseas conservation projects.
They prefer to support communities and the environment in Bolivia, forests in St Helena and endangered eagles in the Philippines, than support the endangered family farms which are the backbone of our countryside and rural communities.
The families who run and manage these farms have decades of experience not only looking after the flora and fauna but also the wider environment, as well as producing food to feed the nation.
Of course, it is important to recognise the importance of these and many other overseas projects, but should our government prioritise these above ensuring the UK has enough food and, equally importantly, water to service the millions of additional homes they threaten to build on our green and pleasant land.
They keep bleating about climate change, which I am assured will remain unaffected by any amount of ‘net zero’ efforts introduced on our tiny island, a mere spec in the dirt compared to China, India, Russia, the deforestation of the Amazon and Indonesia, and other major industrialised nations.
So, why are we being penalised in this mad rush to ‘lead the way’. We are the laughingstock of the rest of the world. They think we are bonkers to put our country and businesses in jeopardy just so politicians can climb onto the stage at future COP gatherings, preening themselves while the country is going to the dogs.
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