A bit of back trouble for Minette Batters

I always see September as a return to normality, and for us the start of autumn calving.

The summer is a busy time for the catering business especially while trying to juggle the farm around the school holidays. We finished the holiday period off with a trip to Dorset County Show. Dorset plays host to three large shows and they all maintain a strong agricultural theme and are a huge credit to the teams of men and women who work so tirelessly behind the scenes.

With store prices as they are, we decided to send a load of nine- and 10-month-old steers and heifers into Salisbury market. It’s great to see my local market flying and I was pleased with the prices – £865.00 for steers and £785.00 for heifers.

With calves well into their creeps, our feed bill is on the rise and, at this time of year, I’m always grateful to our local brewery in the village – most weeks we collect about a tonne of brewer’s grains. My neighbour also collects grains from the village, so last week when he saw me feeding cattle, he remarked that I would do my back in lifting such large tubs. My retort of youth and fitness being on my side caused raised eyebrows, followed by a lecture on how he used buckets half the size. Needless to say his words were the kiss of death – the very next day I strained my back. It’s fair to say that youth and fitness don’t look applicable to me now.

Livestock farmer focus: Minette Batters