We spent Thursday distributing beef to customers. It’s a day that requires a fair amount of preparation and always starts early and tense. This pair of animals went off to Evans more than three weeks ago. We loaded them with a surprisingly small amount of effort, at 5.45am, and they looked good. The half hour journey has […]
We are very pleased to be able to offer you the chance to buy some of our beef. It’s taken a while longer than planned after such a dry spring but two animals will go off to Evans at Marston Moretaine on 11 July. We hope you will want to buy some so please read on […]
Nearing the end of the guided walk last Wednesday, we stopped the group of 30 cpre members and gave them a parting round up, thank you and another plug for beef sales, as suggested by all the best training manuals. And I realised that this was very genuine. Of course it’s always a pleasure to talk about yourself, but […]
After two months spent with some lovely looking cows on the Shuttleworth Estate near Biggleswade, Admiral arrived home on Friday and seemed pretty pleased about it. Like any youngster one hasn’t seen for a while he seems to have filled out in those few weeks away. He may be a bit disappointed with the relatively sparse grass we have […]
Red Poll heifer We have decided to sell four of our young female animals. They were born in April/May 2009 so are ready to breed now. Two are registered pedigree with the Red Poll Cattle Development Society and two as A Grade with the Red Poll Cattle Society. We would be happy to run them with […]
Jane has been telling tales at the Living Crafts fayre at Hatfield House over the weekend. We’ve just got in with sore feet and needing cups of tea. Our kids have reached the age at which watching their mother performing has limited appeal, so I had to send them off on their own whilst I […]
The first calf our herd produced, all the way back in 2003 was a beautiful heifer that we called Poppy. She has over the years grown into a lovely cow who resembles her mother, Nancy. Since her first, she has borne a succession of excellent bulls including the notable “Elvis” so-called because of his first few very […]
Things were a bit on the low side during the latter stages of the winter and in March, Copper, a cow that we’d been nursing since October had a final visit from our vet, Caroline. Having tested negative for a whole range of conditions, we were hoping she might somehow recover. This was not to be and Caroline, […]
I spent yesterday morning sitting in the sun outside our barn making obelisks for an order that needs to be ready this week. The barn begins to double as a workshop very early in the year when temperatures rise enough for it to be bearable and our store of hay and straw for the cattle has diminished sufficient […]
Every year I enjoy the violets that appear all around the village. I don’t remember seeing so many anywhere else although Jane tells me that there used to be more when she was a kid; sounds like a rose-tinted memory to me. I think these are common dog-violet, Viola riviniana, although I stand to be corrected […]