Early morning, a deep red sunrise heralds rain today, but the 'chink' of the blackbirds say it is getting lighter earlier. Also the owl's screech outside the window, heralds a night time bird going home to sleep and the crows are already arguing noisily in the copse.
There was about 16 people at the meeting, which was not too bad for a political get together. The greater majority older females, a bit like me. A few husbands and then a younger farmer. We had been going to discuss GP ideas on farming.
Well he definitely put us straight about all things to do with farming. From dogs chasing sheep, and the poor Labrador that almost got its head trampled in by an over protective cow, to his contempt for 'CountryFile' and Adam Henson standing in front of his very expensive machinery. The production of carrots came up, he had rented some land to another farmer for their production for a supermarket. How the carrots are needed for a precise date from the supermarkets, someone came up with the fact they bought 'pony' carrots from our farm shop. These are large, probably 20 kilos bags, sold for horses I was surprised the couple managed to get through them, surely they needed clamping in the earth.
He said he had not anything to contribute on Brexit, not knowing what is going to happen in the future, but said the argument for helping the smaller farms had to be taken into consideration. Another fact he told us, don't ever buy a Jersey bull. Lovely up to 18 months but after that the devil in a pretty skin, should be sent to an abattoir.
Looking at these people I am not sure where the Green party is going in this area, local people do not seem interested but the incomer is over represented it seems, with too much emphasis on charities, though of course the British charities are easily influenced by government.
Anyone involved in real farming that I know also think Countryfile is a programme that makes the countryside and farming too "pretty".
ReplyDeleteI remember Adam Henson's father Joe, he ran the Rare Breeds Trust, which the son sort of keeps going but is more into farming and celebrity. Our farmer was very good and told it as it is.
ReplyDeleteI am not impressed by Countryfile either. Not a reality show, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the same thing about the Dairy breed bulls. Next Door had a big Brown Swiss bull. The cows were amenable and gave a higher butter-fat yield, which is why he used them, but the bull turned nasty one day, jammed him against the pen, got him to the ground and knelt all over him. Fortunately he was rescued before it killed him, but in hospital for weeks and the bull gotten rid of.
I think the supermarkets have farmers supplying them with such a stranglehold and the quality between supermarkets is noticable (Tescopolis among the worse).
As for the people buying pony carrots to eat - nowt wrong with that, but as you said, you must need to like carrots an awful lot!! or clamp them.
Bulls can be nasty creatures, but a cow with calf at heel can also be defensive, especially against dogs. I am still surprised that many bulls are still used and not AI, wasn't there a bull 'breeding'? place at Lampeter years ago?
DeleteInteresting post Thelma. My dear farmer was not the slightest bit interested in Politics (with or without a capital P) - he just wished to keep his fields and his stock in good order and enjoy them. In fact he was not all that bothered about making a profit any more - but then of course he had not children to pass the farm on to. Interesting what the farmer at your meeting had to say about Countryfile and about Adam Henson and his expensive machinery. I love Countryfile and never miss it - mainly because it is my one remaining link to farming now. But I do see what your farmer is getting at.
ReplyDeleteThe farmer wasn't too complimentary on DEFRA either, but seemed more worried that the big farms will swallow up the smaller ones bringing about a great change in farming.
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