Well, the last post was the highlight of the haymaking season . . . . nothing more happened. Either the weather was forecast to be terrible - or not forecast, but was anyway; or the machinery was stuck (it's so old, it took a week to source a new baler tyre); or, worst of all, my back gave out, probably in protest at all the other uncertainty. I have
two wwoofers due next week and if the weather's warm, may have a last go at cutting the second field. Heigho! - no-one ever promised life would be easy, did they?
The two new rams arrived (see post of 14th June); in a state of shock at finding the world was bigger than they thought, but they are getting less wild, letting me get a little closer (I hope they don't need vet attention in the next 3 months). The pigs had to put up with commercial pellets for a while, because of my bad back, but really hated them - bullied me by biting my boots when I put the pellets in the trough, insisting on
real food (peas and barley) which I couldn't carry to them. So my locally-sustainable-feed theory is good for the pigs as well as the planet, that's good to know.
The veg garden is producing more than we can eat at present and looking good for the winter (thanks to weeding and digging wwoofers; thank you Anna, Sam, Chris, Gill and Lydia!), and the autumn foraging season is underway - here's the first giant puff ball in the stockyard behind the barn; a small one, maybe because of the dry summer, but delicious, and shared with friends.
The two new rams arrived (see post of 14th June); in a state of shock at finding the world was bigger than they thought, but they are getting less wild, letting me get a little closer (I hope they don't need vet attention in the next 3 months). The pigs had to put up with commercial pellets for a while, because of my bad back, but really hated them - bullied me by biting my boots when I put the pellets in the trough, insisting on real food (peas and barley) which I couldn't carry to them. So my locally-sustainable-feed theory is good for the pigs as well as the planet, that's good to know.
The veg garden is producing more than we can eat at present and looking good for the winter (thanks to weeding and digging wwoofers; thank you Anna, Sam, Chris, Gill and Lydia!), and the autumn foraging season is underway - here's the first giant puff ball in the stockyard behind the barn; a small one, maybe because of the dry summer, but delicious, and shared with friends.
