The last few days have been filled with cattle. Thursday morning last week was our first chance to get ear tags into the three calves born the previous Saturday. We try to get tags in within 48 hours because after that time, calves are quick, agile and strong and rather tricky to catch. And so it […]
Up and out by 5am on a May morning. It’s good to have some company to share the secret time. After some early May frosts, it’s 18 degrees and there’s a red fringe to the cloud cover in the east; no mention of concerned shepherds though. Martin’s keen to add some rabbit meat to his diet […]
The waiting’s over and we have five lovely Red Poll calves. Four heifers and one bull so far; three to come. Pepper was the first last Sunday, followed by her half-sister, Copper on Wednesday. Just to add excitement to an already packed Saturday schedule two were born in the early hours and a third, to ace mum […]
Jane will be telling stories at the Festival of Living Crafts, Art, Design & Innovation at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire, 6-9 May. The event is open to the public from 10am to 5pm daily and Jane will be telling regularly. For more information about Jane’s storytelling visit our web site
I know I’m in danger of going on about it, but after such a long, cold and gloomy UK winter I think a bit of celebration is in order. Actually it’s gone cold again, but plants and animals here are resilient enough to get through cool periods. Here is some of the brilliance of spring colours, worth […]
At this time of year, when we finally reach the first due date (9 months after the day Admiral, our Red Poll bull, walked off the trailer to meet his heifers and cows for the first time) we start to fret and discuss and examine and try to remember exactly what a cow that will […]
Every so often in July or August, when the bluebell seeds in our bit of ancient woodland are ripe, we collect some and spread them in the new plantation – Bottom’s Corner. This hasn’t been in any way scientific and we haven’t recorded anything. For the first time, flowering bluebells have appeared in Bottom’s Corner this […]
We spent a wonderful couple of hours last Friday in Bottom’s Corner (our small hazel coppice in Gravenhurst). It’s just brilliant; I can’t think of a place I’d rather be in mid April. We’ve been producing bundles of pea sticks for sale at Harpenden farmers’ market and it’s great to be doing something rewarding in such […]