Catch Up

At the time of last months blog, there was little to indicate Spring was on its way, but the past few weeks have seen a flurry of activity across the country as farms play catch up. Our Spring crops have been planted (even if we have changed our plan and then changed that too) and the first signs of green shoots are visible above ground already.

Cattle and sheep are all outside from the maternity units with calving and lambing complete.

Grass fields are being rolled in preparation for the seasons silage and hay making, and cultivations for green cover crops and grass are underway. Repairing damaged soil and grass caused by the wet Winter is next on the hit list.

 A chance to visit another estate in Tongue last week where the focus is on re-wilding. A term familiar to many, but often not easy to explain the outcome. However, this tour provided some excellent examples of re-wilding in a landscape which was until recently, overgrazed by deer. A rich mosaic of land cover returned within a few years and the unspoiled views were stunning. As for “social rewilding” the estate was investing significantly  in both housing and places for work and even a nursing home.

One of the toughest parts of the job here can be having to taste test new products. This month, the stressful task included beef pies, sausage rolls, biltong and beef stock. It is safe to say, the results were amazing and these products will be on the shelf in the butchery soon.

Our first Grass to Grill event of the year took place on 3^rd May, with “New Life” as the theme. The tour mixed together a huge variety of visitors from people on holiday, to locals who were keen to explore more and other farmers interested to ask questions on our system. We could easily point and talk about what we do – but the real engagement with the guests on tour, was getting in amongst the animals – Cattle, pigs and lambs all got their fair share of attention. The final part of the tour is a BBQ with whole meat joints cooked over woodfire, paired with a beer or cider. It’s not a bad way to end a week!

 

 

Photo credit – Magdalena Walczak @theblossombranding