Spring time

Firstly, a bit about what has been happening on the farm this spring…

March saw us lambing. Since becoming engaged to anExmoorfarmer’s daughter, my son Simon has shown much more interest in matters ovine! However, it is Dad who had to get up each night to check the ewes! Our flock of North of England Mule ewes, tupped by Suffolks, lambed well and were soon mothered up and out to grass. They are growing well, but we desperately need more rain. Shearing has been completed and we await the wool cheque. The previous tenant on part of this farm once told me that his wool cheque (just after the Second World War) actually paid the rent on 400acres! Now it hardly pays the shearer. Could I offer 2011’s wool cheque in lieu of this year’s rent?

We have been calving our small herd of purebred Herefords, about 30 head of cows and heifers, and surprisingly we have had 10% twins! We don’t know much of their history as we only acquired them last year. Is it the bull or maybe the female line?

Our 28,000 free range laying hens are performing well, but our feed bill at over £1,000 per day is crippling. Obviously, the price of cereals has shot up, but the major supermarkets refuse to increase our egg price. So far, it has cost me over £70,000 extra for feed this season; which comes off the bottom line. Our constant battle to exclude foxes is also very taxing. Last year we spent over £10,000 on improved poultry stock fencing, with a netting ground section and electric boundary wire. Basil still digs under this though and we have daily perimeter patrols akin to concentration camp protocol.

Cropping wise, the cereals and rape have looked well this spring but are now in urgent need of more rain. We had about 14mm of rain around 2 weeks ago, but hardly anything in April. The seed potatoes are just poking through the ridges. We dug our first early potatoes in the garden this week – lovely!

As National Chairman, I had the privilege to address the AGM of R.A.B.I. last week. My chosen topic was ‘The Farming Ladder’. What a wonderful gathering of inspiring people it proved to be. The charity does such good work and the help given to deserving cases is so crucial and much appreciated. The fundraisers who received awards gave an insight of the enthusiasm, hard work and ingenuity of their events. I wish to give a special mention of the efforts of the YFC who have helped at so many events, as well fundraising in their own clubs.

Another role of the Chairman is to attend meetings with RPA officials and the Minister of State at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Jim Paice. Some of you reading this blog may still be awaiting your 2010 SPS payment. I fully sympathise with your situation – I received my payment in March, but it was a close call with rent and fertiliser to be paid. We try our utmost to stress to the RPA that this payment is crucial and needs to be paid on time, particularly when tenant farmers have often fully borrowed against their assets and lack the financial security of freehold land/property to borrow against. We will continue to press for timely payments to “active” farmers, and  an improvement in performance targets.

I hope to see as many of you as possible at the various shows and events that the TFA are attending this year – Beef Expo, Royal Cornwall Show, Cereals, Great Yorkshire Show, Dairy Event & Livestock Show and the Bath & West Dairy Show. We would really appreciate your feedback on our performance, good or bad and it’s great to meet fellow farmers from around the country. We are reviewing our Regional Governance and Member Meetings format and welcome your views when you receive our questionnaire.

With Simon’s wedding in September at the farm, I had better get back to “The Big Cleanup” operation!

Jeremy

P.S.  I hope it rains soon for all who need it.