This month has been full of miracles.
Firstly our Bluefaced tups are out and doing well and ewes are
fit and are holding their own in these atrocious wet
conditions.
We weren't so lucky when Northumbria Water had a major burst
recently, which was a worrying time with nearly 900 housed cattle
and no water. The problem was overcome by everyone at home as I was
in Hanover at
Agritechnica.
If I could find a book entitled Idiots' Guide to Travel I would
buy five and give them to my friends from Durham. We travelled to
Hanover and they thought the exchange rate was great as it was one
euro to one pound. But they soon realised that food and the show
tickets were expensive. Getting lost on our return trip in Paris
was the last straw and making it home was a miracle.
It appears VOSA is out in force, ourselves being stopped with a
new tractor and borrowed trailer. Everything was in order apart
from the brakes that needed adjusting on the trailer.
Store lambs are grazing away on stubble turnips and kale, but
after three weeks on this they're putting on fat, which isn't ideal
as we don't want to sell them until spring.
We've employed full-time, good, young lad from Alnwick. After a
short phone call to One
North East and Business Link a lady was dispatched to discuss
an apprenticeship shepherd scheme. It appears there are
apprenticeships but no wage subsidy. Stockmen are already hard to
find and issuing them with ATV tests, Forklift tests etc won't make
them stockmen. If these skills aren't passed down they could be
lost forever.
