Rosemary’s FARMING Diary
ROSEMARY'S FARMING DIARY | FARM FOCUS
The transformation of the countryside with the gardens, fields and hedgerows bursting into leaf, the daffodils and other Spring flowering bulbs and shrubs are all welcome. With lockdown gradually being lifted I think it’s a time we have all been waiting for. It’s been a very, very long winter.
All crops are now growing well but everything needs rain, particularly seedlings such as sugar beet and Spring sown cereals. The searching winds we have experienced recently have dried out the soil. These last few days cultivators working the fields have created clouds of dust. I think most farmers in this area have completed their Spring sowing with some good seed beds having been made. New technology along with science over the last decade has made major strides to the way we are able farm, agronomists and farmers have the benefit of using drones to check crops, the weeds and any other problems which may be looming - giving them the advantage of dealing with the problem in its early stages saving on chemical application, which, in turn can help the environment. I’ve been amazed at the number of bird species we have in the garden, all very interesting to see them feeding and going about their daily tasks. I expect the migrating birds will soon be here. We usually hear the cuckoo in the middle of April, the cuckoo heralds the start
of the warmer weather with everything moving on in the fields; with birds hatching off their young, bringing life back into the countryside, the cattle will soon be turned out to grass, new born lambs skipping in the fields; what a lovely refreshing sight to see all around us. During the covid pandemic, we, in the countryside have seen an influx of visitors, walkers, cyclists and so on which in general has been well received by farmers, the only observation I would like to make is that everyone, visitors included, abide by the countryside code when out in the country. I have witnessed people all over sown fields, dogs not on leads running loose on crops, which we are all going to consume when harvested; there are also the ground nesting birds being disturbed - once this happens it can mean a complete loss of these eggs as the hen bird may forsake this nest. The countryside is a living and working environment where we are all trying to do our share to accommodate both work and enjoy the beautiful countryside at the same time. It is easy to download a copy of The
Countryside Code via the Gov.uk website, so why not do this before you venture out into the country? What could appear to be a safe area to explore, may not be in reality. Farm animals can be very unpredictable – to them you are the intruder in their territory. Whilst not being necessarily vicious, they can be inquisitive, particularly if you have a dog with you and/or are wearing bright clothing. If you run, they will run, which to some people can be quite frightening. I’ve learnt to respect animals, having been brought up and working with them all my life. Each animal has its own genetic characteristics and responds differently depending on what circumstances it finds itself in. With the old weather predicting adage in mind ‘ash before oak causes a soak, oak before ash in for a splash’ I have been watching the ash and oak trees carefully to see which will come first – maybe it’s the weather, the climate or maybe it’s due to the disease the oak was reported to have suffered last summer/ autumn, but I wonder if the oak trees are rather slow this year – only time will tell.
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