Farming

FARMING An eventful time at Greenwell Farm

£300/ton to £1,000/ton and in addition to fuel and energy price rises, this makes our industry very vulnerable. Our prices have increased, but nowhere near in line with our costs. So we have decided not to buy artifi cial fertiliser this spring, and have spread as much cow and sheep muck as we can fi nd. We risk depleting the farm of production potential, and our harvest will be lighter this summer as a result, but we think it would be a bigger risk to spend tens of thousands of pounds on fertiliser. We have some of last winter’s feed left and we also purchased extra feed at the Having now fi nished lambing I am a spent force! Spring on the farm is a long, tiring journey and end of the winter. We will monitor our reserves and hope to get through but we may have to either sell some cows or although it’s always amazing to see so much new life, I buy extra feed for next winter. am glad to see the back of it in equal measure! Once On a lighter note, Dave my right hand on the farm is all the young life and their mums are processed and in getting married and I wish him and Kerry all the best for their summer pastures the future. I got invited on the moor and in to his stag do - not the summer grazing fi elds, one involving nights the farm turns quiet and away, but the ‘local’ we literally relax for fi ve one for lesser drinkers minutes waiting for the and old people! Gem grass to grow! The ewes collected me from the and lambs, cows and pub by 9.30pm, leaving calves are busy feeding the youngsters to their on all the fresh grass, shenanigans! I thought I while the harvesting was doing well but then fi elds grow the next crop Gem mentioned we of silage and hay for had to check a drain in winter. our fi eld as she’d heard Normally we would a lamb bleating. Our apply artifi cial fertiliser boys were very excited and cow muck to the to be going on a major fi elds used for winter rescue mission! Poking feed. The artifi cial my head up the storm fertiliser contains drain I could see the mainly Nitrogen(N), Phosphorus(P) and Potassium(K) which are essential for plant growth and exist “ The lamb was rescued safe and sound by my brother Neil, and Angus who turned up to take the glory! ” lamb’s eyes. I fashioned a crude poking device from gaff er tape, a fl eece and a length of pipe, but on the fi rst attempt naturally in all living it pushed past the lamb. things. The cows and As I was modifying my sheep harvest the grass and so these three elements get design with my pocket knife, I stabbed my left hand depleted because we remove the animals from the land between my thumb and forefi nger! There was blood and sell them, essentially removing the N, P and K from everywhere, and poor Billy as a witness. Fortunately, we the natural cycle. Humans consume the N, P and K in have very good neighbours and Chris took me to A&E food, whether that be plant or meat based, but our waste at 11pm on a Friday night. Four hours later, after some does not return the nutrients to the land, as it is fl ushed glue, bandages and antibiotics I was packed off home. away. Nature does help to replenish the three elements There was no real damage fortunately, and once again I but over time the farm would become less productive, so have to thank the amazing NHS. The lamb was rescued we use artifi cial fertiliser - sorry for science lesson! safe and sound by my brother Neil, and Angus who Due to the volatile energy market and war in Ukraine, turned up to take the glory! n our costs have rocketed. Fertiliser has risen in price from Mat Cole, Greenwell Farm