A VERY FINE CARROT HARVEST

For the last two weeks we have been seeing fine arrays of carrots appearing at the part of the farm nearest to us. They are carefully lifted out of the trailer, which is usually hitched to a tractor, and are laid out, again with care, onto the tarmac. The soil is then washed from them with a high pressure hose. 

Not long after the cleaning treatment, the carrots with their long elegant green fronds, are deftly tied by hand into presentation bunches. When the shallow boxes arrive from local retailers, the bunches are gently placed in them - there's no rough handling - and the carrot boxes are lifted into the vehicles. That is the last we see of them. 

These are some of the carrot harvest : 

General Farm workers have to be multi-skilled and multi-taskers on some farms. At the farm near us, they usually work in the agricultural machinery repair business, and fulfill the tasks required to keep the farm running. 

Checking two kinds of stock:


I buy eggs from the farm; one of the workers who lives on site keeps chickens and collects eggs from favourite laying places, about three times a day.  Having seen those gorgeous-looking carrots, I decided it was time to return some empty egg boxes, buy anew, and see if there was any other fresh farm produce for sale. The shop at the farm is not a farm produce shop, it is an agricultural vehicles spare parts business. (Farmers have to be versatile and be able to diversify these days to make a living). The eggs are sold from the spare parts shop and sometimes, if I am in luck, I'll be able to pick up some other fresh farm grown vegetables while I am there. 

I was lucky, not only were there some eggs left for sale, there was a small stand outside the shop, on which rested some swedes, lovely big light green cabbages and guess what.....a couple of bunches of those luscious-looking carrots. My purchases of six eggs, a swede and a bunch of carrots cost me the princely sum of two pounds sterling.


P.S The pictures were taken from a distance.

WORKING WONDERS

Today I was up at the farm, looking at the lambs that are being cared for as orphans. Some are not, their mums could not feed three, some ewes could only support one lamb. There were a few very small ones and a couple of cutely mottled black and white faced lambs that were quiet though were curious. The others were very noisy the moment a two-leggéd 'animal' came into view. I heard that these quiet lambs were not taking sufficient feed. It was likely they were probably affected by something like baby colic.

The lady farmer has an uncomfortable tum in the mornings. She hit on this simple idea; the morning product she used, which settled her tummy, she thought, might work for her lambs. With a big grin, Mrs Farmer told me that she went to the local store and bought extra amounts of it, and has found that Actimel has worked wonders.

The beautiful upright black ram which arrived on the farm last year has not left a great deal of evidence of his fecundity.  Another ram had to help out.   Clearly, he has been selective about the company he keeps and which woolly ladies he performs with.  Next year, it is threatened, he is going "to be put out with Angus".

LITTLE LAMB

The new lamb was rejected by her mum. She has found a foster mum while other suitable arrangements are being sorted out. 

May I introduce little Ella to you, as she was introduced to me.

While a new woolly family is awaited, Ella lamb will be bottle fed and closely watched over by her carer.

PORTRAITS OF A DIFFERENT KIND

I managed to get some pictures of the Suffolks with their lambs from a distance. They still weren't in the ideal place. (see previous post for reference).

but they were a little more obliging today, than on my previous attempts to take their portraits.

It seemed one ewe was on the wrong path to find her own lamb.

There were also a new pair of wobbly leggéd twins, (different breed)on a first outing with their mum.

ALWAYS IN THE WRONG PLACE.

Our neighbour the farmer hasn't been able to start ploughing anything.  Temperatures here have been so difficult and the ongoing ice and snow cover on the ground, till today, hasn't helped.  Today might have been the first opportunity, as everything has suddenly become soggy and drizzly. It's been what we call a 'dreach' day, a wonderfully onomatopoeic adjective. The soothsayers say more very low minus temperatures are on their way next week.  I do hope they are mistaken.

Lambing has been progressing in the large barns.  The first good looking black lambs, from two gorgeous Suffolk sheep, arrived late December. The mums, who were bought late last year already pregnant, were were chosen by the farmer's primary school aged grandson. I reckon he has a good eye for stock already.  During term time, grandson 'farms' every weekend.  It was great for him to see the lambs, now a good size, playing out today under the watchful eyes of the ewes. Grandson would have been involved in their movements in and out of the barn, loving every moment. I have been thwarted from getting pictures of these ewes with their lambs.  They always manage to position themselves where there is an obstruction.

Meantime, the other woolly ladies in waiting are bedded in the maternity ward, (the barn) many ready to go into labour and others in the throes of delivery.  Weather permitting, we might soon get sight of lots of gambolling lambs.

This long cold Winter is difficult for everyone. The farmers need to keep their stock nourished; swedes grown by the farmers, play a large part here.  We haven't had so many generous gifts of vegetables thrown over the fence into our garden like in previous years.  It is an indication, I think, of the prior requirements of the animals.

A lot of hay bales have been carted around,(strictly speaking, moved around on lorries).  Again, these are for the animals, and if there has been a poor growing season the year before, or there is insufficient hay on a particular farm, the farmers have to find hay wherever they can obtain it and at a cost.  Fortunately, last year, we had a mild, if not sometimes, long damp Autumn, which encouraged growth and harvesting at a level that was not possible in previous years.  Without a doubt, it has been needed.