April gave us 58mm of rain just enough to stop me re-sowing the failed wheat field so now I’m getting twitchy as it wants doing ASAP if we are to sow oars otherwise it will have to just be grass. The cows went out at night on the 28th of April showing if you look at www.greenheyes.com  diaries just how late this spring has been the lime trees along the roadside have only just begun to get their leaves. The cowslips and bluebells are only just beginning to put on their show too.

Next week sees a visit from Russett special school so lets hope for some sunshine. It seems we will now have activities from now until July with either schools the roadshow or the shows.

Next on the farming front is repairing the wind damaged cubicle shed roof and replacing cubicles damaged during the winter.

Another successful visit hosted yesterday for the Rossett special school. Glorious sunshine all day and plenty of invertebrates in the pond  diving beetles, caddis larve, boatmen to name but a few. I think our winter pollarding of two willow trees will improve things for this year but we will have to watch the duckweed. The cows seem happy to be out all the time and tis week it’s time to get some of the youngstock out and prepare some of the store cattle for sale. Saturday is our first time out with the roadshow for 2008 so if any of you are visiting Whitegate near Winsford do come and say hello. Further to this here is Dave the former member for Cheshire on the NFUs NATIONAL committee and a keen supporter at Whitegate.

The failed Wheat field has now been re-seeded with grass and now could just do with a shower to get it growing as could the wild bird seed mixture. I seem to have spent more time on a tractor seat this spring than I have in the last 5 years put together come to think of it I probably have !!. The cows are  certainly enjoying this warm weather and besides everything finally starting to grow we also have birds nesting everywhere I spotted a wren eying up the IH784 yesterday morning. Not a good idea as it hasn’t been still for long this last few weeks. Next week will see me repairing the cubicle shed roof and also the bank holiday weekend sees us at the Salt Museum in Northwich with the roadshow. Further confirmed events are Romiley young farmers show in July  the Vale Royal playdays in early August ( 3 days seeing us in Winsford Northwich and Frodsham) the summer fayre at Heaton house farm Rushton Spencer and the Nantwich food festival. We are currently making two mors cows for our dairy company the Dairy Farmers of Britain as we have been lending them our foldout milking cow be as you see we now need her ourselves.

Hope to see some of you over the weekend as we are at the Northwich salt museum with the roadshow. We have cleared the last of the wet area on our new yard with a mini digger (driven expertly by Mick) and filled it with rubble. Next was cleaning off the cubical beds done by Simon again with the mini digger Not a fork in sight. I have been to Leek to collect three picnic benches we hope to use for visitors and for the barbeque on June 7th (that’s put the kiss of death on it rain rain rain now I’m sure) and some extra chairs curtesy of Mick and Margaret at Heaton House farm. Preparations are now underway for first cut silaging.

Tomorrow is Open Farm Sunday ( here also are some of our cub visitors from yesterday) and we are open but in a low key way as silaging preparations seem to have taken presedence. The clamp in nearly ready and the forager has a nice new shear bar fitted. Tomorrow Simon and Peter plan to remove the extension spout fitted by the previous owner not required by us. We have had two calves this week 1 Angus female and one Black and White female both doing well. This time next week Greenheyes will be rocking to “Cover Story” and the sound of the Sixties and Seventies as we host the RABI barbeque. June will bring many school visitors plus more roadshows and the Cheshire Show.

That's it for this month regards Phil