its a combine picture.

Just to prove that I get dirty and do some work , heres a picture of me and my combine in a field of Barley. The field is called Beech Quarry, its one of the very few fields that I have amalgameted buy removing a hedge, guess what he two fields were called, annswers on a post card.
When this combine was new in 1995 it was considered huge in terms of output, at around 20 tonnes of wheat cut per hour, today ther are combines that are physically similar in size that can do 3 times that amount per hour plus. If I have one of those in 13 years time harvest will be a couple of long weekends, bring it on !!

Im back

What have I been doing neglecting this blog ?? shame full. I think I know why I'm so bad at any diary type discipline, its genetics. About 5 years ago we turned an unused room here in the farm house into a proper office. Nothing big and glamorous but ideal place to impersonate a productive office person. The room in question had always been known as "The Back Place", what it should have been called was "The Skip". It was filled with the detritus of 45 years of Teague family occupancy.

In this muddle I found all sorts of interesting ( to me ) stuff. A box full of Mums fathers farm accounts from the late forties and fifties, it was reassuring to see that he had whopping overdraft too, more genetics. I also came across a box full of Dads diaries from the late sixties and into the seventies when we moved from Tattenhall in Cheshire to Manor House Farm. I had struck gold, twenty odd priceless tomes of Teague family history. I opened them with anticipation, what great wisdom was within ?. Not much, in fact sod all. A few ear numbers of pigs and cows and the date they were mated , and occasional references to bills payed. So you see we Teagues are poor at this sort of thing but I will try.

The Barley was harvested last week with little drama, the straw baled and the fields cleared. What a relief to have lots of straw again, we have nearly 200 Herefords under 6 months old and they use masses of straw, as they are too young to be outside all the time.

last Sunday Sue took part in the Cardiff 10 kilometer run. It was scorching hot and I had to take shelter in a bar and drink very cold beer while she did her run. She did very well for a first attempt coming in at 1220 out of over 4000 entrants and completed the course in 56 minutes.

The course was around Cardiff Bay, which if you get the chance is well worth a visit. Its a modern entertainment complex on the site of the once derelict Cardiff docks. Its little wonder the economy is in the mess it is when you see the scale of the once massive docks trading with the world replaced with dozens of restaurants and shops consuming wealth and creating very little.

On Monday the 28 th July we were given access to the Blue Tongue Virus vaccine, so this week all the the cattle have had their first dose. Administering the dose is very simple and gave me the chance to weigh quite a few cattle. The weight is entered into a piece of computer software tat calculate Daily Live Weight Gain (DLWG), our young cattle are growing at about 1.15 kg per day which for Herefords is pretty OK.

Before I forget the new Pure Tilth podcast is up, see what you think.

Tick tick tick tick

Can you hear that clock ticking, I can. Today we are, ( I say we , actually Robert ) has started to apply a chemical to our winter barley crop to stop it growing and start it ripening. This means that we have two weeks, thats how long the chemical takes to work, and if the weather is kind we will be starting harvest. Harvest is easily the biggest event of our farming year and always seems to catch me out how ever well laid my plans are. At the moment crops look well, what they need is hot sunny days, not the wet weather the forcast has to offer.

The Combine is nearly ready to go and there is still some tidying of grain stores to be done but at least we have a deadline and that's what I need !

The news this morning that a cull of Badgers in TB hot spots will not be going ahead came as no surprise. Although the evidence of Badger to cattle infection is pretty overwhelming the politicians involved have more of an eye for their careers than the welfare of tens of thousands of cattle needlessly slaughtered each year and farm businesses put in financial peril. I suppose having the fact that you were the one that sanctioned a badger cull on your CV is seen as unacceptable by those people who know nothing of the reality of the situation.

Fred Update, Fred is making fantastic progress, the cannula is still in place and is allowing any build up of gas to escape, but should come out next week if all remains well,..long live Fred.

Sorry about all the links, I only hope they work. Next I will try pictures, look out !!

Hows Fred

I am sure you are worried about Fred, well things are looking pretty good, hes up and about , looks a little under the weather and who can blame him.

He is in a small pen with two others for company and has eaten a little this morning, we are , dare I say it , optimistic.

Next job, drive to Heathrow Airport and back, is that South of Hereford ?, best dig out the Gazeteere !!