May has been dry again with only 41mm of rain (click here for more weather)

This dry spell has allowed the ground to dry to the point that we can now sow our maize crop

Therefore at the start of the month Richardsons sowed the maize.

Here they are in action ploughing.

We have had one calf in May an Angus bull living on the orchard with mum.

 

The orchard is still a building site and here is Dave’s digger in action again plus a picture of what seems to be one of many rubbish bonfires.

Now the winter is over some cows needed a hoof trim and here is our friend Guy in action sorting one out.

For a while (about 2 years) we have had a power supply problem at Greenheyes and so after testing our suppliers have come up with the solution of converting the supply to a three phase supply.

This means 415 volts instead of 240. New poles needed putting up and instead of it running overhead the cables travel underground, put there by a machine called a “Mole” which runs on compressed air.

A hole is dug at the start and finish points and then the mole can begin.

These pictures show John and Carl in action putting the cables in.

The picture on the left shows Carl sending the mole through while the other shows John with the red and white “sighting staff” in the receiving hole. We are now waiting for connection. Click here for even more.

The preparations are continuing for our school classes and for the picnic area we have bought this self contained site toilet.

Here are Simon and Peter inspecting it just after we positioned it.

 

We had just finishing milking on the 15th and we had unexpected visitors.

A hot air balloon owned by local balloonist Russell Bairstow had landed on the Left hand meadow.

These pictures show the retrieval by Russell and his team including his brother Stuart.

Russell and Stuart’s father Frank was the previous tenant of Bank farm our next door neighbours until 1963.

We now have the offer of a trip so some Ariel pictures should happen sometime.

Finally the Bank Holiday weekend saw me at Redhouse farm home of the Hewitt family and venue for a local food festival.

 

I went to man the NFU display stand and these pictures show the hall and stall holders.

 

 

 

 

I certainly recommend ALL the foods on offer. Take a look at their farm shop and tea rooms at www.redhousefarm.co.uk

Finally don't forget to take a look at our nature page

I’ll see you all next month and hopefully some of you at the Cheshire show.