August 2005

August has been showery with 79mm of rain again mostly coming as heavy showers soon drying again so we have continued with the work.

Those cute little ducklings and chicks have grown fast since the Cheshire show and here they are now nearly fully grown the lawn is currently covered with feathers as the ducks are moulting their baby feathers and growing their adult ones.

As you see there are now only two ducks this is because four have been found a home by a man looking for a drake (male) to go with his six females and so we let him choose four he should get one out of them and aims to breed them next year.

The old saying being “every good duck and goose should start to lay by St Valentines day” We wish them well.

Angus calves a plenty this month with 4 bulls and two heifers most of these are from the group of heifers we brought home from "Norcroft" except one escapee who having calved, kept the calf “hidden” so we couldn’t bring her home. It took 3 days to finally catch up.

Mid month saw much stress amongst our younger members with Simon ,Hannah and Lucy awaiting "A" level results - all passing with Hannah going to Manchester for teacher training, Lucy is studying Law at Bristol and Simon is studying agriculture at Myerscough.

The next week was Sarah, Becky and Peter’s turn Sarah and Becky are staying at Holmes Chapel sixth form while Peter is going to Reaseheath to study agricultural mechanics (could be useful with some of our tractors!!)

As the month ends we see the oats ripening and will silage some big bales from the Humpety back and Peacocks fields once the Milestone field is clear.

Last month I mentioned we aim to have a road-show for next year and here it is in its raw form the Greenheyes Farm road-show trailer.

The aim was to work on it over winter but Miranda one of our NFU friends wants me to come to the Nantwich food festival on the 25th of September. Here I must mention Miranda is a super member of our PR committee so plans have been brought forward.

These pictures show how it is at present alongside an impression of how it may look once sign written. Proper pictures next month.

We will be taking bookings for such as school fetes for 2006.

Andy is currently talking to the county archaeologists about our possible river find see the nature page for details. More as this develops.

Finally the annual Cheshire ploughing match for which my friend Norman Lawson is the secretary is being held on the 28th of September at Little Heath farm Dunham Massey Altrincham (Junction 19 M6)

Try this to learn more about ploughing or to find a match near you http://www.ploughmen.co.uk

See you next month PHIL ?

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