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Walter Rose and son Family Butchers
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THE EVERYDAY STORY OF LIFE ON A WILTSHIRE FARM
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July 2008
Rain, rain and Food Fayres
If we thought last month was wet then July seems to be shaping up to be even wetter. There is no need to make wallows for the sows at the moment. This summers problem is that we are running out of straw fast and with harvest delayed by the rain it will be several weeks before any more is cut. Obviously in the wet weather more straw is needed for bedding up the pigs. I think we have found a few neighbours with some left-overs and we may have to resort to using hay to tide us over if necessary. Straw is expensive this year due to the fertiliser shortage and expense, the straw has a higher value as fertiliser than normal if it were to be ploughed back in. High welfare systems of keeping livestock certainly have their costs.
We took a break in the rain last weekend to clear the weeds from around the tree we planted on the farm in memory of Camerons Father, Andrew Naughton who died two years ago. The tree is doing well despite having been accidentally chewed by the cows last summer. A wet summer will help the tree if nothing else.
5th July
Taste of Bath
This year we were invited to the Bath Food Festival - Taste of Bath - by Richard and Jo Bertinet of the Bertinet Kitchen Cookery School. Throughout the event Richard Bertinet was show-casing different local producers food in a several cooking classes. Our pork was represented on Saturday evening the class invited in from the show visitors helped to cook a dish of Pork with shallots and Cider Brandy. We were invited to talk for a few minutes about how we rear our pigs and to answer any questions. It was a fun evening - we have not been to the Taste of Bath before, we were able to go round and sample all sorts of foods and drinks and came away with lots of tasty goodies. The weather however, was not fun, it poured all evening and was really cold - the stall making hot chocolate did great trade!
Little Cat Diary
The kittens are now nine weeks old and are more or less weaned. Due to the havoc of five kittens in the kitchen, the four strong ones have been rehoused in the stables where they can riot without doing so much damage. They appear equally happy there as in the house. Little badger remains in the house, she seems to be flourishing on being the centre of attention. She can run now and even attmpts to climb trouser legs! This week they will all have their first set of vaccinations.
15th July
Devizes Food Festival
Once again Walter Rose were the main sponsors for the Devizes Food Festival. We all took part in the Food Fayre held on Saturday in the Market Place. Andy Cook acted as master of ceremonies, challenging visitors to a sausage making competition. He also talked through the process of jointing up a side of beef, lamb and pork. The watching crowd were fascinated to see where all the cuts of meat come from, but were also clearly very impressed by the speed and skill the butchers showed in their job.
Tim Johnson once again brought along a selection of animals - calves, lambs, chicks, turkey poults and goslings. These were a great favorite with the visitors. Alasdair and Rachel spend many hours happily sitting with the chicks passing them to people to hold.
We met a lot of people and were able to talk about how we farm and introduce people to the website. Thank you to everyone who visited.
July wildlife and vet students
This year a pied wagtail decided to build a nest in a box in one of the sows large roundhouse tents at Soley. Despite the fact that we have to work in there regularly she successfully reared one brood and now has hatched her second brood. If we are in the tent she flies out and waits anxiously outside, the minute we go she darts back in. With good weather here at last perhaps she'll try for a third brood.
In our little garden pond the tadpoles have now turned into tiny frogs - about the size of a 1p coin - Alasdair our amphibian enthusiast is delighted - so am I, they can help the toads and hedgehogs keep down the vast slug population.
We have just said goodbye to Robert, our second vet student of the year. Next week we have two more with us for another fortnight. Vets have to have a two year placement on different types of farms including a pig farm. Now that there are fewer pig farmers in the West Country we seem to be getting increasing numbers of students approaching us. Anyway they are generally enthusiastic and work very hard for us during their stay.
24th July
Harvest begins
We hope to begin combining some oilseed rape today so harvest begins. We really hope the weather holds as with the price of diesel we don't want to have to dry crops. It is very important that crops are stored at a certain moisture levels to ensure they don't get hot and mouldy. Once the grain comes into the barn it has to be monitored with big moisture spears stuck in the heaps. On dry nights fans blow through the stores to take away humid air. It's quite a task - when the crops are first cut they have to be monitored daily.
Email: Naughton@Farming.co.uk