53mm of rain has meant that we have been able to get the oat crop combined and the straw baled without any problems and here is Alan in action.

We haven’t grown any maize this year so that is the end of harvesting for us but we will have some third cut silaging to do at Norcroft.

Our next field work will be sowing some winter wheat this is aimed for late October so we will have to see what the weather brings.

I have sprayed the Humpety back field to kill off the grass and any weeds ready for ploughing. More on this next month.

Frursey our Friesian x Jersey has given birth to another heifer calf and here she is and doing fine a half sister for Shersey.

As I said last month concrete is in order for the shed and here we are floor poured toilets re-fitted and the final doorway blocked all we have to do now is finish the partition wall and paint (a job for Dorothy and Margot).

The 12th saw the launch of the Year of Food and Farming this is a programme of national events and its initial launch was by HRH the Prince of Wales.

Take a look at the website www.yearoffoodandfarming.org.uk and in particular our contribution which you can find on the mega map section by using the postcode cw10. There might be a slight confusion here as our next door neighbour James is also on the map so  be patient.

I am trying to write an occasional blog under the pseudonym “Diary of a Yellow Chicken” so comments are welcome. If this works we aim to start a similar column here on Greenheyes.

The Swallows have now disappeared to warmer climes and one of the main things we are seeing overhead are around Canada geese, 300+ of which have taken residence on the subsidence flood on the canal just to the East of the farm.  

These stretches of water are known locally as “flashes” and were the result of the pumping of brine water in the late 19th and early 20th centauries to extract salt the resulting space caused below ground leading to the sinking (subsidence) sometimes overnight.

Locally particularly in the towns of Middlewich, Northwich and Winsford evidence of damage to buildings is common. For more on the subject visit the www.saltmuseum.org.uk .

We are currently working with the museum as in the spring of 2008 they are putting on a display of farming history and are borrowing some of the Greenheyes farming bygones for their display.

Back to the present and next month sees Graham and Caroline celebrate their silver wedding.

I believe they will be visiting Sydney. Congratulations to Caroline must be made at this point.

By the end of October we will be looking at bringing the cows in for the winter and the dark nights will be with us once again.

Finally click hear to visit our nature pages.

 

See you next month PHIL.

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