Farm Update - September 2023

It's been a while since we've been in touch and we're sorry about that! A crazy summer for us with the opening of a campsite, school summer holidays, harvest, hay making, and all the other jobs that summer brings, and suddenly autumn is upon us again (actually, did summer ever arrive?!). 

Cattle

The cattle have had a lovely summer down in the river meadows. The warm, wet weather has been perfect for growing grass so they have had their fill of grazing and are looking in absolutely cracking condition. The copper supplements we have been giving them recently have made a massive difference to both their form and coat colour - they are back to the gorgeous deep red we expect of the Ruby Red breed. 

We won't fixate on it for too long (as it feels a bit like groundhog day), but we failed yet another TB test last week. 4 reactors and 1 inconclusive means we remain in the TB cycle and under movement restrictions, we will test again in 60 days time. 

Sheep 

The sheep are looking well, despite a challenging summer for them. The warm wet weather has been the perfect breeding ground for both worms and maggots. We have had to keep a really close eye on the sheep looking for signs of fly strike (where flies lay their eggs in the fleece of the sheep), as the maggots can burrow themselves under the skin of the sheep and this can lead to death. It can be tricky to spot in some animals, and sadly we lost 2 lambs despite being extra vigilant with our livestock checks. 

We have taken regular muck samples to our vets this summer to complete faecal worm counts. This enables us to keep track of worm numbers and types, and treat in a targeted way, ensuring we only worm when absolutely necessary. Worms impact the general health, condition, growth and performance of the sheep, so it is essential we treat when needed, but we are mindful of unnecessary application. We choose wormers that are targeted to the specific type of worms found in the faeces to reduce the impact on worm life in the soil. This also helps to reduce resistance to the wormer which can happen if blanket worming the sheep. In addition to medicated wormer, we use grazing rotations to help manage the worm burden and reduce risk of reinfection of the flock. 

This summer we have planted a couple of blocks of stubble turnip mixes. These are multi purpose - they provide a fantastic, nutrient dense food source for the sheep over winter when grass growth slows down. But they also help to capture carbon in the soil, and lock nitrogen in for use when growing other crops at a later date. The sheep will graze turnips whilst naturally fertilizing the soil with their faeces and trampling in organic matter, improving soil structure. The deep roots of the turnips and other plants support with drainage and aeration of the soil, and the leafy coverage overground provides a great habitat for a host of wildlife. A fantastic option to support our aim of embracing regenerative farming methods in to our systems.  

Harvest 

You may remember that the wet spring left us in a difficult position with regard to the planting of our arable crops. The wet ground meant we were unable to drill anything until the end of May - over a month later than the optimum planting date. We knew we were taking a risk doing this, but it was this or nothing, and no arable crops means no straw, which for us is critical for bedding down the cattle over the winter. 

The late planting, meant a late harvest, and the barley had seen some tough weather conditions over the summer. But we got it cut, and despite being a little damp the sample wasn't too awful (our expectations were pretty low!). It seems that the gamble paid off, and whilst we have not produced a premium crop by any means (our spring barley usually goes for malting on a specialist contract with Budweiser), we have managed to grow some average feed barley, and have some straw in the barns to see us through winter. We are now keeping our fingers crossed that the lorries turn up to move the grain this week so we don't have damp grain sat in the barn for too long. 

It was a very different harvest for us this year as it was the first time we weren't combining our own crops. Earlier in the year we said farewell to our trusty combine (that was nearly as old as us), and this year we used a contractor to cut the crops for us. I have to say this was a god send. Huge, state of the art equipment arrived on farm and made short work of combining. Significantly more time efficient, and far less stressful than previous years! This is only year 1 but we already feel it was a good decision. 

We were under pressure to get the straw baled due to the damp weather and shorter days (by the time we combined we were well in to September and the overnight dew was heavy). We are incredibly lucky to have a fantastic member of staff Alex, who not only works for us but also has his own farm. We try to work collaboratively where possible and often share pieces of equipment between our enterprises. Alex brought his smart new round baler over and baled up the straw, and in return we headed over to his farm to make some small bales of hay for him. Farm machinery is incredibly expensive to buy and maintain, and it makes sense for us to pool our resources where possible. #teamworkmakesthedreamwork

Hay and Silage 

As mentioned previously, the weather this year has been perfect for growing grass. A welcomed relief after a disastrously dry year last year. Early on in the season we managed to make a good amount of both hay (dried grass) and grass silage (fermented grass) thanks to the dry weather. Our second cut hay and silage was trickier to make, thanks to a consistently wet summer. There was a limited number of consecutively dry days, which is essential to cut and dry the grass. Never the less we managed to get it done and are pleased to see the barns full of fodder to keep the cattle fed over winter. 

Diversifications 

Farm diversifications are becoming increasingly essential to us in order to manage cash flow and risk within the business. This summer we opened a pop up campsite as an added string to our bow! A back to basics site with composting toilet, cold water washing up, a relaxed atmosphere, open fires, and beautiful sunsets. It was a really enjoyable venture, and the girls loved being able to camp whenever they fancied it. Our visitors loved supporting the local pubs, trying our home produced meat, and exploring the area, especially Oxford city and of course the River Thames. We look forward to opening our gates again next summer.