A Month on the Farm - August

by Libby and Lisa Buchanan

We had the best news last month - we passed our second Tb test and we are now officially clear of the disease and no more testing for another six months. We slept better that night than we had for many weeks and we want to thank everyone who expressed their concern and showed us such kindness. It has meant the world.

The cattle are now out across the farm, peacefully enjoying the Summer. They look so content - almost as content as Mum and me! The only fly in the ointment for them - so to speak - is the flies! Their lives can be made a misery by them, so we treat them with a special spray (approved for organic use) which does a great job of keeping the flies away. We also make sure every field has a natural shelter so they can put themselves into the shade on hot days. Sometimes it’s hard to find them as they lie in a great pile, but in the evening and early morning they emerge to graze happily.

The wet weather has not only meant the grass has been growing at a marvellous rate, but so have the thistles! So we have been topping them - but you need to wait until they form a flower head, but before it turns to seeds and cause an even bigger problem next year. It is quite an art to get it right, but the farm is definitely looking tidier now and we are hoping they won’t be back this year!

As we write, we are awaiting the arrival of Philip to cut the main silage fields. The rain has delayed silage-making for everyone and so now the pressure is really on. Before we all know it, it will be harvest time which will mean the kit will be redirected, ending silaging for a while.

On the positive side, the lateness of the cutting has been great news for insects and birds. We decided to take part in the Big Butterfly Count by identifying as many species as you can in 15 minutes. Well, we reached 200 in the allotted time, but there were so many we could barely count them, let alone identify them. And in amongst the clouds of butterflies and moths were insects of all shapes and sizes. Nature is booming and blooming and it is a joy to behold - and show it is possible to farm and care for Nature at the same time.