Alice explains our managment of the SSSI ancient coppiced woodland as Matthew comes to collect the timber he cut last year ready to feed the farm boiler in the winter and make us less dependant on oil where possible. We are desparate for rain althogh the crops and the sheep are still growing. The ewes have been sheared.
Cameron shows us how to shear sheep. The orphan lambs are getting bigger and John is busy with his bean trial experiments. We have last year's wheat going off the farm and we look at the paperwork that has to accompany every load. The weeds are growing fast so we are getting one of our armoury against weeds ready - the mower.
Lambs get bigger and one of the orphans goes on a road trip. Robert explains why we have some black lambs and explains how we number them. Finally we get some RAIN. Much needed and we watch as it finally soakes down to the seed. Our ancient hawthorn tree falls down with the weight of blossom and rain. We do isolating combine service and new recruit Sam explains what he has to do to pass his loader test.
We take a tour of the new born lambs and Cameron (with his Covid haircut) explains how to check them, tag them and ring their tails. Alice explains how our out-door organic sheep system works with these New Zealand Romney sheep. Peter clears up old hay so the grass can grow and the winter and spring crops need weeding already. We have a new full time team member - Welcome Sam!
Checking the twins lambs and Robert getting in the swing of the lambing season. Redrilling a failed bean field from the wet winter and the newly drilled spring crops are really getting going. Hoeing the weeds out of the winter sown wheat and planting clover between the rows as a mulch. We have a few lamb orphans and one got attacked by a fox but they are learning to drink from the milk dispenser.
It is getting hotter and dryer. We have a few orphan lambs and a pop up hospital. As we race to finish John has a blow out on the main road but the lovely police arrive. We finsih drilling - enough to make 8.5. m pints of lager (barley) 28m bowls of possidge (oats) and 26 millions sausages (feed beans) Thank you NHS for having our back so we can carry on working.