tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2008:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102 2007-11-14T15:58:36Z Farming children speak out for the countryside Movable Type 4.1-en tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.17521 2007-11-14T15:57:45Z 2007-11-14T15:58:36Z

Felicity writes: This week on the farm we have been getting ready for Christmas, and making signs! Dolly, the donkey has had a sprained ankle and had to be put in the stable to rest with her daughter Mabel....

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Felicity writes: This week on the farm we have been getting ready for Christmas, and making signs! Dolly, the donkey has had a sprained ankle and had to be put in the stable to rest with her daughter Mabel.]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.17520 2007-11-14T15:52:52Z 2007-11-14T15:57:03Z

Martha writes: We have all been very busy this week getting ready for the little pigs coming. They have come in two batches and we have 740 in total. My cousin Harry came at the weekend to see them....

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Martha writes: We have all been very busy this week getting ready for the little pigs coming. They have come in two batches and we have 740 in total. My cousin Harry came at the weekend to see them. He is three-years-old and has always called pigs ‘kibs’ but when he saw the small ones he called them ‘kibblets’. He thought they were great because they are so inquisitive if you sit among them they will come up to you. ]]> We have to build igloos out of bales for them to shelter in so that they don’t get a chill, so I have to help my dad get them all out on a morning so that they all manage to get something to eat because some of them will just lay in the warm straw all day and not bother to eat. So at the moment I am getting up really early to help before I go to school. We put an advert in the local pet food store for the kittens and someone came and took all three that we had house trained, so we are back to just the two, Pumpkin and Smoggy. I think they are enjoying the peace and quiet. tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.17325 2007-11-12T13:43:32Z 2007-11-12T13:47:03Z

Craig writes: The weather in the past week has shown signs of winter being round the corner as it’s been cold with gales and the snow was right down to the lower hills on Friday. The high winds resulted in...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Craig writes: The weather in the past week has shown signs of winter being round the corner as it’s been cold with gales and the snow was right down to the lower hills on Friday. The high winds resulted in the trees being bare as ever and causing huge piles of leaves to build up against walls – good for collecting them though. One evening a friend and I were piping at the Inverness Town House for an awards ceremony and the wind was nearly taking me of my feet with it catching on the tall drones! Recently I’ve started to feed the birds again and because it’s been so cold they are really appreciating the seeds and nuts and are constantly going back and forth to the bird table. The book on wild birds is out, and I’m attempting to identify the ones I’m not familiar with.]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.17323 2007-11-12T13:40:06Z 2007-11-12T13:42:37Z

Emily writes: I've had my birthday - I had a party and my dad did a firework show for us all. On Saturday one of the calves was found to have pneumonia and we had to inject it. To...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Emily writes: I've had my birthday - I had a party and my dad did a firework show for us all. On Saturday one of the calves was found to have pneumonia and we had to inject it. To do this, we had to separate it from the rest of the herd. This proved a difficult task and in the end a cow was brought in to calm him down (we would have brought his mum in but she was old and died last week). This however didn’t work and the calf jumped the fence to get back with his friends. The second attempt succeeded and he ran into the field happily.]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.17014 2007-11-06T13:52:32Z 2007-11-06T13:58:23Z

Craig writes: The livestock side of the farm has been very busy. We sold 27 of our fat lambs at the mart recently and as expected we didn’t get a great price for them. The road outside my house...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Craig writes: The livestock side of the farm has been very busy. We sold 27 of our fat lambs at the mart recently and as expected we didn’t get a great price for them. The road outside my house has been getting tarred and all the machines have been parked in the steading yard. To our shock they had tarred a strip in the yard because they had some left over – a bonus! We've also been through the ewes to see which ones will and will not be in good enough condition to be tupped and have lambs this year. We were checking for teeth, udders and strength.]]> Autumn is definitely here now as there are leaves everywhere. I've been burning them. There was loads of smoke and it was hard work but great fun! Once I had the fire going I had to rush back for another wheelbarrow load before the last lot had burnt – what exercise I must have got doing that! We were working on the sheep in the field beside the house in the afternoon so every so often I ran and put another load on. The second time I burned some leaves they were a lot drier so the flames were roaring! I also went to a friend’s birthday party where we went to a giant remote control car racetrack – It was great! I would like to tell you about another hobby I do, still farm related but different. Over the last couple of years I’ve experimented with growing a small amount of crops in one of the plots in the garden. The winter barley that I sowed in September is now bushing out as well as the slightly younger winter wheat I sowed in October is shooting through the ground. In the spring I hope to sow spring barley, oats and for a change lupins. I just do it for fun but I use the grain for bird feed. tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.17013 2007-11-06T13:43:29Z 2007-11-06T13:46:36Z

Felicity writes: My mums' new puppies have celebrated their 12-week-old birthday. They are Welsh Springer Spaniels and are called Dotty and Ralph. We have also finished drilling the wheat....

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Felicity writes: My mums' new puppies have celebrated their 12-week-old birthday. They are Welsh Springer Spaniels and are called Dotty and Ralph. We have also finished drilling the wheat. ]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.16440 2007-10-25T13:56:10Z 2007-10-25T14:01:36Z

Craig writes: We bought three new Suffolk tups at the annual tup sale at Dingwall Auction Mart. Including them, we now have seven tups, which we are feeding at the moment to keep them strong and healthy. The day...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Craig writes: We bought three new Suffolk tups at the annual tup sale at Dingwall Auction Mart. Including them, we now have seven tups, which we are feeding at the moment to keep them strong and healthy. The day after that we were up early to drive down to Kendal in England to stay in a holiday cottage for the week. The cottage was on a livestock farm with sheep and cattle. The landscape was totally different there compared to where I live as it was very hilly and the fields were surrounded by dykes rather than fences although there are a few dykes still standing on our farm and there are plenty of hills round about the area I live.]]> While we were staying there we took a trip to Blackpool and we went to the theme park there. I was the only one brave enough to go on the biggest rollercoaster there but even though I went on it by myself it was still great! Most of the winter wheat nearby has been sown now and surprisingly there is a farm up the road just finished harvesting their last field of spring barley! tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.16390 2007-10-24T14:07:20Z 2007-10-24T14:10:15Z

Emily writes: Nothing much is happening so I thought I would tell you about someone close to my heart. My dearest dog Spooky (he would have written it himself but having no thumbs this was going to be a...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Emily writes: Nothing much is happening so I thought I would tell you about someone close to my heart. My dearest dog Spooky (he would have written it himself but having no thumbs this was going to be a difficult task). When he was a puppy he got abandoned with his brother and sisters in a graveyard and was found and taken to the RSPCA. ]]> He appeared on the T.V. show Pet Rescue with all his litter and him and one of his brothers were picked out to be trained a hearing dogs. As he grew older he was turning out too much like a German Shepherd and therefore couldn’t be a hearing dog any more and so he was given to us. A year on, Pet Rescue did a follow up on him. Me and my family appeared on T.V. with Spooky. Five years on we still have our gorgeous dog and I want him to know that we all love you. tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.16389 2007-10-24T14:01:21Z 2007-10-24T14:04:55Z

Martha writes: We have had to have some work done at the back of our house with a digger - unfortunately when they did this they chopped through our phone line so we have not had a phone for a...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Martha writes: We have had to have some work done at the back of our house with a digger - unfortunately when they did this they chopped through our phone line so we have not had a phone for a few days so I didn’t think I would be able to send this week's blog. It is not so bad now as we all have mobile phones but when this happened a few years ago it was worse as we don’t have any close neighbours and the nearest phone box is about 4 miles away. Our farmhouse stands on its own surrounded by fields which is nice as we don’t have to worry about disturbing anyone, and when our dogs decide to have a barking competition they only annoy us. ]]> Sometimes, however, it can be a bit of a nuisance. We can't just pop to the shop as we have to get in the car and most of my friends live about 4-5 miles away. But I still love living where we do. Me and my mum went picking crab apples to make some crab apple jelly. These are small wild apples that grow on the trees around our fields, they are really sour so you can't eat them like normal apples but they are really nice when they have been cooked with loads of sugar. tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.15776 2007-10-12T09:40:46Z 2007-10-12T09:44:42Z

Great! On Friday school closed for the October holidays – two weeks to do what I want! All our grain has been shifted now and as well as that all the five-foot bales have been cleared from the steading...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Great! On Friday school closed for the October holidays – two weeks to do what I want! All our grain has been shifted now and as well as that all the five-foot bales have been cleared from the steading yard. At the weekend we weighed all the lambs. We marked with livestock paint any lambs that are heavy enough to be sold just now for slaughter if we decide to. That afternoon Dad washed the tractor while I cut some kindlers for the fire in the house.]]> ]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.15774 2007-10-12T09:34:05Z 2007-10-12T09:37:16Z

Emily writes: My dad has been spending a lot of time ploughing the fields but is almost finished. He took a day off to come to Stowe landscaped gardens with us. It was very nice. The landscapes looked natural but...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Emily writes: My dad has been spending a lot of time ploughing the fields but is almost finished. He took a day off to come to Stowe landscaped gardens with us. It was very nice. The landscapes looked natural but they were actually man-made. I am very excited because in about two weeks we are going to Portugal for my mum’s birthday. Also on the hay bales me and my sister have made a secret playground out of ladders, logs and string - naturally Dad checked it was all safe before we used it. We have a swing, monkey bars and a slide which I spend hours on after school and on the weekends. All fun and games really.]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.15428 2007-10-05T14:49:28Z 2007-10-05T14:54:03Z

Emily writes: There has been a caravan rally on of the fields that we own. Each night starting with Thursday and ending with Saturday they had entertainment which we were invited to. On Thursday we had an Elvis impersonator, on...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Emily writes: There has been a caravan rally on of the fields that we own. Each night starting with Thursday and ending with Saturday they had entertainment which we were invited to. On Thursday we had an Elvis impersonator, on Friday they had another band and on Saturday they had a food festival which had loads of different foods from all over the world. They also had an Ompa band which did loads of different songs. Also on Saturday we had the fete but it was more like an autumn bizarre. But everyone from the caravan rally came so it was very busy. On Sunday I did a 10km hike which was very tiring but I finished it. Here is a picture of the fete. ]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.15286 2007-10-03T15:05:47Z 2007-10-03T15:11:17Z

Felicity writes: This week on the farm we received 50 ducks at the point of lay and some little ducklings and chicks. They are so cute! The hay making has finished and is all being stacked, it is great...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Felicity writes: This week on the farm we received 50 ducks at the point of lay and some little ducklings and chicks. They are so cute! The hay making has finished and is all being stacked, it is great fun to climb on them when an adult is around and says it's safe and see the surrounding countryside.]]> tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.15229 2007-10-02T16:19:40Z 2007-10-02T16:34:29Z

Martha writes: I've been busy and have had a sleepover with all my friends who have moved on to secondary school. This was for my birthday - we had lots to eat and we played a game that I...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Martha writes: I've been busy and have had a sleepover with all my friends who have moved on to secondary school. This was for my birthday - we had lots to eat and we played a game that I got for my birthday, we didn’t get much sleep! We have had two calves born this weeked. They came as a bit of a surprise as they were from cows that we had bought-in so we were not quite sure when they were due. They were both born outside and with no problems which was good, they are both Charolais crosses so they are a creamy white colour, and both of them are bulls. ]]> They are really sweet and are now running around the field like lunatics. I went to Young Farmers and we went to a garage to have a look around, and he specialises in vintage cars, there was some really nice ones and they also have some really old lorries. They looked really tiny compared to the ones we have on the roads now, they were all polished and looked really shiny, he lends a lot of these out to the people who film things like ‘Heartbeat’ and the ‘The Royal’. It was very interesting. tag:www.fwi.co.uk,2007:/blogs/fw-kids-connect-campaign//102.15195 2007-10-02T13:01:08Z 2007-10-02T13:06:29Z

Craig writes: Oh well, a few more loads of grain cleared from the folds and a couple more full lorries of bales away too. I had a go at flinging the straps over the lorry to hold the bales...

Tim http://www.fwi.co.uk/blogs/rural-life Craig writes: Oh well, a few more loads of grain cleared from the folds and a couple more full lorries of bales away too. I had a go at flinging the straps over the lorry to hold the bales on but I didn’t get on very well with that! Some of the brussel sprouts in the garden are ready now and I’m amazed at how good they are – they’re in decent condition, filled out, big and most importantly of all they taste good as well.]]> ]]>