It is the season of the farm sale or roup in the local area. I have now been to a good number and they seem to split into two distinct groups, tenants and owner occupiers. In general the tenanted ones are sad affairs with a generations old tackle and an air of defeat about them. Even if the farmer has lived to retire the prospect of the sale supplying a good pension is slim. The local farming community does what it can by paying sometimes well above new price for the kit worth anything at all but they know it will total up to very little. Contrast the owner occupiers sale, even if the sale is the result of a death or illness there is an air of satisfaction that at least those who follow will have something to help them retire or start again with the next generation. Land values have split tenant's of small farms into a sort of rural underclass with no way out and no collateral to expand when faced with competition from larger mixed tenure units.
Lamb sales have been proceeding steadily with us and the price continues to fall relentlessly, the last lot away had the lowest average price for organic lamb I have ever received. It cannot continue like this so we have decided to cut sheep numbers yet again. We will not purchase any replacements and cull as heavily as possible, the land freed up will go to wheat. I doubt we will see the same high prices for wheat next year but I can lock in a profit now I cannot say the same for lamb.
Our aged Toyota is still in surgery but I am assured it will recover, the delay being due to their being three different types of pipe required and only two arriving so far. This has not bothered herself at all as she has taken over "my" 4x4 and seems very reluctant to let me have it back, the only exception being to take "Gerald" to the local abattoir and thence via the local butcher to our freezer. I usually have to ask a couple of times for help to move stock but when he was loaded everyone turned out to help unprompted, I wonder why?