Welcome to the Greenheyes farm journal. I hope to update the journal on a regular basis (at least monthly) to show the work done on a farm as the year and the seasons progress.

DECEMBER REPORT.

On the 2nd of December we have harvested the fodder beet (left)this was done by contractor after I had cleared the outside rows (headlands) by hand. It has yielded well at 60t/h.a. and the cows are now enjoying it in their diet.

Then the rain set in and we have only had 2 days frost during which to spread the slurry (manure,) then the spreader broke down after 2 loads and the chance was lost.

The sheep (right) from a collegues farm near to the Derbyshire town of Buxton arrived with us on the 7th and they will stay until the end of next month.

Continuing with the livestock, 3 cows have calved producing 2 black and white bulls and 1 black and white heifer. She is now in the rearing pens and the bulls are still suckling on the cows until christmas is over and the markets re-open.

This month I have fitted the new silage handling machine or SHEAR GRAB as it is known to the loader tractor.This cuts the silage from the clamp instead of tearing it out as the existing grab did. The benefit of this is less silage wasted in transport and due to less air being let in it stays fresher longer.

Christmas has come and with it the Turkey plucking at Dorothy's parents Farm we spent 3 days doing about 200 birds.

Christmas over and the morning before New year's Eve a sleeper snapped in the slurry store fortunatly it wasn't too bad but the repair was carried out in 1 meter deep slurry.

On this note I'll see you in the new Millenium and I hope All your festivities went well .

See you next month PHIL.