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THE EVERYDAY STORY OF LIFE ON A WILTSHIRE FARM
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August 2008
Rain, rain and harvest
Oh dear! I know farmers always complain about the weather but I really think we have due cause this year. My August page should have lovely seasonal pictures of combines and balers and stubble fields in the warm evening light (See August 2007 if you're feeling nostalgic for a proper harvest). At the moment the best I can do is a rather handsome slug found at Crooked Soley. I'm not ever very fond of slugs and this year they are everywhere and I am fairly ruthless with them in the vegetable garden but this one photographed is definitely a cut above the average black or orange beast. The weather is beginning to be quite a worry - we have hardly harvested anything, a few fields of oilseed rape - painfully slowly between showers. No wheat at all has been cut it is just too wet. Whilst the crops are not yet being badly damaged by the rain we are desperately short of straw, by now we should have plenty of new season straw. Instead we are scavenging old straw from neighbours and using our hay for bedding. It seems a pity to use the hay we hoped to sell but the pigs aren't complaining.
9th August
Little Cat Diary
Two of the kittens left home today for a life of luxury with Auntie Annie in Bristol - Blackface and Bristol Bob now to be known as Sorrel and Nettles - leaving us with Biscuit Bob and Percy, and little Badger in the house. Percy and Bob are strong little cats now and out and about the farm although staying close to the stables at the moment.
11th August
Pigs are Worth It campaign documentary
As a follow up to our 'Stand by your ham' campaign and the 'Three Little Pigs tour' we today took part in filming a follow-up documentary. The aim of the film is to try to see how pig farmers have coped in the last six months and what issues are facing us now. We're also trying to keep awareness of consumers to look for the Quality Standard Mark' which shows it is it is Farm Assured British Pork and Ham, and also trying to get people to think about the provenance of meat they eat in Resturants, ready-meals and products like pies and sausages. We had a fun afternoon filming the sows and boars (including Elvis- 'The King!'), and piglets. Although we didn't film the newborn piglet pictured (four hours old), the film-crew did get to see her. We were very fortunate that apart from a little drizzle it stayed dry while we were filming.
Email: Naughton@Farming.co.uk