Some bird-brain antics this afternoon.
Firstly, a goose attacking its own reflection.
Secondly, a pelican swallowing a pigeon.
February 2011 Archives
I know this is probably more of a Friday afternoon than a Monday morning clip, but here's a bit of cat/sheep-related silliness.
I wonder, incidentally, how Larry the cat is getting on in Downing Street...
| Tweet |
|
Q: What do raw milk, absinthe, haggis and puffer fish all have in common?A: They can all kill you.
Ok, that might be slightly dramatic, but over the years they have all been banned in various parts of the world for perceived health and safety risks.
According to this list I stumbled across, raw milk is currently banned in 22 American states, as well as Canada, Australia and Scotland, in order to protect consumers from "harmful bacteria". (Although as you can see from the picture, that doesn't stop acting legend Martin Sheen being a big fan. Another random thing I stumbled across..)
Importing Scottish haggis is also banned in the US, and has been ever since Britain's BSE outbreak in 1989, and absinthe earned its spot due to its perceived link to violence and mental illness, caused by controversial ingredient thujone.
But the hands-down winner of the danger foods list must be the puffer fish. It contains "lethal amounts of a poison called tetrodotoxin, which can paralyse the body and cause death by asphyxiation."
I think I'd rather eat haggis, washed down with a pint of raw milk and chased with a shot of absinthe than risk a piece of puffer.
| Tweet |
|
Our call for pictures of reading FW in unusual or bizarre places has prompted a great response.
Hampshire farmer Richard Edwards (third from left) sent us this one of him in south west Libya.
It was taken before the current unrest - in, as Richard puts it, "happier times in the country".
They're pictured in the Awbari Desert near the Algerian border in an area known as Fezzan - the nearest town of any size is Sabha, where Gaddafi comes from.
"I always take 'the weekly' on holiday and try to leave it in an obscure place," says Richard, whose an arable and sheep farmer at St Mary Bourne.
| Tweet |
|
It's not unusual to have moments of feeling isolated if you live in the countryside, but imagine being two weeks away from your nearest shop, and a full month's walk from the next village.
That's reality for the Wai Wai people - a remote community that inhabits an area of tropical rainforest the size of Wales in South Guyana, just north of the Amazon.
Seed specialist Simon House, from South Barrow near Yeovil, normally advises farmers in the South West of England, but he put his extensive knowledge of agriculture to good use as part of a recent expedition to visit the Wai Wai.
"As the only person on the expedition with agricultural knowledge, my role was to advise them how to make the most efficient use of the land that they have available," explained Simon.
"The combination of light, thin soil and an annual rainfall of four metres make it very challenging to produce enough food and part of my task was to help them move away from their traditional, and destructive, 'slash and burn' method of establishing crops to more sustainable methods."
During his four-week trip Simon helped to locate and survey a 40-mile trail to see if it is possible to make a track to allow tractors to bring in supplies. He also helped to catalogue wildlife in the region, which includes jaguars, pumas, monkeys and reptiles.
Despite being bitten by an anaconda along the way - one of the world's largest snakes - Simon didn't lose any enthusiasm for the trip.
"I could not turn down the opportunity to visit one of the remotest parts of the world with the greatest biological diversity," he said.
That's reality for the Wai Wai people - a remote community that inhabits an area of tropical rainforest the size of Wales in South Guyana, just north of the Amazon.
Seed specialist Simon House, from South Barrow near Yeovil, normally advises farmers in the South West of England, but he put his extensive knowledge of agriculture to good use as part of a recent expedition to visit the Wai Wai.
"As the only person on the expedition with agricultural knowledge, my role was to advise them how to make the most efficient use of the land that they have available," explained Simon.
"The combination of light, thin soil and an annual rainfall of four metres make it very challenging to produce enough food and part of my task was to help them move away from their traditional, and destructive, 'slash and burn' method of establishing crops to more sustainable methods."
During his four-week trip Simon helped to locate and survey a 40-mile trail to see if it is possible to make a track to allow tractors to bring in supplies. He also helped to catalogue wildlife in the region, which includes jaguars, pumas, monkeys and reptiles.
Despite being bitten by an anaconda along the way - one of the world's largest snakes - Simon didn't lose any enthusiasm for the trip.
"I could not turn down the opportunity to visit one of the remotest parts of the world with the greatest biological diversity," he said.
| Tweet |
|
Look at these faces. Lovely, one and all.
They're all in the running to become the 2011 Face of British Food Fortnight. There's still time to enter this competition if you fancy your chances. Here's why you should enter - and how to do it.
| Tweet |
|
Got a dog that's a bit special?
Then perhaps it could be the winner of the NFU's Farm Dog of the Year competition.
And here, talking of pets, is a selection of 10 pet pictures entered for the FW 2010 Photography Competition.
| Tweet |
|
Tim blogged earlier about a ewe that gave birth to five healthy lambs in Cumbria. Well I'll take Tim's ewe and raise him a sow that delivered 20 piglets in Cambridgeshire.
Bryn Pope, a partner in a small family arable farm, only recently started to keep a few pigs, but he's clearly a natural.
When one of his sows, Fudge, started to farrow at the start of February he had to help to deliver the first few piglets because he found there was a bit of a "log jam". Over the next few hours the number just kept on rising.
When Bryn's mum Denny woke in the morning, she found a text message from her son saying, "20 delivered, two stillborn and one runt died soon after delivery," which meant that Fudge had 17 live, viable piglets.
Bryn had very little sleep over the next few days as he assisted Fudge with three-hourly relay feeds. He also rigged up a system whereby they could drink milk from the farm's goats from pans (actually old cake tins) in the creep, to supplement the sow's milk.
A few weeks down the line Bryn has split the litter and has the six largest piglets on watered-down goat's milk and starter pellets.
"My goats are forgiven any bad behaviour, for the time being, but I am looking forward to having enough milk for cheese and yogurt in the not-too-distant future!" said Denny.
Bryn has his son Jack to thank for the whole episode. Jack asked if he could have a pig for his 10th birthday and it was agreed that he, his Dad and his Grandad would all have a pig and look after them together.
Jack is coming up to 14 now and wants to be a farmer "like his dad". And a 17-strong litter is a pretty good start.
Bryn Pope, a partner in a small family arable farm, only recently started to keep a few pigs, but he's clearly a natural. When one of his sows, Fudge, started to farrow at the start of February he had to help to deliver the first few piglets because he found there was a bit of a "log jam". Over the next few hours the number just kept on rising.
When Bryn's mum Denny woke in the morning, she found a text message from her son saying, "20 delivered, two stillborn and one runt died soon after delivery," which meant that Fudge had 17 live, viable piglets.
Bryn had very little sleep over the next few days as he assisted Fudge with three-hourly relay feeds. He also rigged up a system whereby they could drink milk from the farm's goats from pans (actually old cake tins) in the creep, to supplement the sow's milk.A few weeks down the line Bryn has split the litter and has the six largest piglets on watered-down goat's milk and starter pellets.
"My goats are forgiven any bad behaviour, for the time being, but I am looking forward to having enough milk for cheese and yogurt in the not-too-distant future!" said Denny.
Bryn has his son Jack to thank for the whole episode. Jack asked if he could have a pig for his 10th birthday and it was agreed that he, his Dad and his Grandad would all have a pig and look after them together.
Jack is coming up to 14 now and wants to be a farmer "like his dad". And a 17-strong litter is a pretty good start.
| Tweet |
|
Can it really be 10 years since the foot-and-mouth epidemic?
Here is Farmers Weekly's coverage of the anniversary, some memories of that dreadful time and a look at how life has changed for some people in the decade since then...
| Tweet |
|
Who says romance is dead?
First it was the burger or love and the heart-shaped cucumber, now news reaches us of a sheep-related Valentine's message.
Powys farmer Dean Roberts decided to try doing something a little different for his wife - he made a heart of sheep on his family farm in Felindre.
He fed the sheep on the side of the hill and then travelled via quad bike to another hill to get the photo which he gave to his wife, Ellen.
Only one sheep moved away leaving the others eating in a heart shape.
"I only did it for a laugh, but it turned out better than expected," says Dean.
| Tweet |
|
The crusade to get young people drinking milk marches on, but it's not all pop stars with milk moustaches.
The Dairy Council has developed two online games to try to engage with young people in a fun and non-preachy way, and they're so good they were nominated for prestigious Digital Media Awards.
One of the games is called Magic Furball (think magic 8-ball but in the form of a cat). The other is called Pull the Udder One - a memory game that involves pulling musical udders (yes, really).
Unfortunately the games didn't win their respective categories on the night, but it's the taking part that counts. At least that's what my mum always told me.
The Dairy Council has developed two online games to try to engage with young people in a fun and non-preachy way, and they're so good they were nominated for prestigious Digital Media Awards.
One of the games is called Magic Furball (think magic 8-ball but in the form of a cat). The other is called Pull the Udder One - a memory game that involves pulling musical udders (yes, really).
Unfortunately the games didn't win their respective categories on the night, but it's the taking part that counts. At least that's what my mum always told me.
| Tweet |
|
The Duchess of Cornwall made her cameo on The Archers last night.
You can hear her (for a limited period) by clicking 'listen' on Wednesday's show here. She's about five minutes in.
| Tweet |
|
I am quickly falling in love with this series.
This is the latest clip from Human Planet - an eight-part series on BBC One.
This week's episode is titled Grasslands, and features the "helicowboys" of the Australian outback - daredevils who swoop down to bring in 2000 cattle over 50km.
Apparently the production teams spent two years shooting over 70 stories in some of the most remote locations on earth. The footage was edited into eight episodes - each focusing on a different human-inhabited environment.
So far the series has covered mountains, deserts, jungles, oceans and the Arctic. Rivers and the urban landscape are still to come.
This is the latest clip from Human Planet - an eight-part series on BBC One.
This week's episode is titled Grasslands, and features the "helicowboys" of the Australian outback - daredevils who swoop down to bring in 2000 cattle over 50km.
Apparently the production teams spent two years shooting over 70 stories in some of the most remote locations on earth. The footage was edited into eight episodes - each focusing on a different human-inhabited environment.
So far the series has covered mountains, deserts, jungles, oceans and the Arctic. Rivers and the urban landscape are still to come.
| Tweet |
|
Farmer Frank didn't win. That's the last time I bet on a horse. For the time being, at least...
| Tweet |
|
Got a rat problem on the farm?
You're in good company - the ghastly critters have been spotted in Downing Street, too, prompting the PM to enlist the help of a cat.
Meet Larry, David Cameron's new four-year-old tabby.
Apparently he's got a "very strong predatory drive".
He's already bitten a reporter from ITV (which is probably no bad thing).
Presumably he'll be good for catching government moles, as well as rats...
| Tweet |
|
Farmer Frank, FW's unofficial mascot, is racing this afternoon in the 3.10 at Leicester.
We're going to have a little wager.
He can't lose. Well he obviously can - and probably will - but you know what I mean.
| Tweet |
|
Going to a livestock market is good for you. Literally.
At least, it was if you went to one Somerset mart recently, as it had teamed up with the NHS in a bid to improve farmers' health.
Continue reading Taking stock of your health.
| Tweet |
|
After the ski slopes, we've been sent another picture of Farmers Weekly being read in an unusual place.
This is Jessica Oatey (right) with her friend, Connie Moulding, reading FW while on a Sixth Form science trip to Euro Disney in Paris.
"Apparently Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck are regular readers," says Jessica's dad Jeremy, who sent us the picture.
| Tweet |
|
If sheep are your thing then I have a very important date for your diary.
From 8 - 31 May a prestigious Cotswolds art gallery is devoting its walls to paintings of sheep and nothing but sheep.
The Fosse Gallery in Stow-on-the-Wold has invited artists from all over the country to exhibit their best depictions of rams, lambs, tups and ewes, including this painting by local artist Alex Williams entitled 'May Hill'.
Alex's work has been used by the National Trust and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, and sheep are one of his favourite subjects.
"Sheep are such long-suffering creatures, so familiar in our landscape, exposed to the elements, with their paraphernalia of feeding troughs, lambing pens, hay barns and rusty corrugated iron," he says. "Their world is simply such a great subject and I love painting it."
Here's another of his entitled 'Tin Shed':
Wool was the main source of wealth in the region for years so there couldn't be a much more appropriate location for an exhibition dedicated to sheep. In fact I'm reliably informed that the name 'Cotswold' is derived from two words: 'cots' meaning a sheep's shelter, and 'wold' meaning a gently rolling hill. And for any literary geeks amongst you, Daniel Defoe once wrote that 20,000 sheep were sold in a single day in Stow's market square.
Gallery owner Sharon Wheaton has been amazed at the interest in the show from both artists and collectors.
"People adore sheep," she says. "It's fascinating to see the any different interpretations our artists are able to create from these gorgeous animals. Too many amateur painting of sheep are glib and populist, but this is a serious exhibition celebrating an animal on which the Cotswolds' economy was based, and which still plays a vital parting the rural community."
I'll leave you with another painting that will be part of the exhibition in May: 'Winter sheep' by Louis Turpin. For more information about the exhibition go to www.fossegallery.com
From 8 - 31 May a prestigious Cotswolds art gallery is devoting its walls to paintings of sheep and nothing but sheep.
The Fosse Gallery in Stow-on-the-Wold has invited artists from all over the country to exhibit their best depictions of rams, lambs, tups and ewes, including this painting by local artist Alex Williams entitled 'May Hill'.
Alex's work has been used by the National Trust and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust, and sheep are one of his favourite subjects."Sheep are such long-suffering creatures, so familiar in our landscape, exposed to the elements, with their paraphernalia of feeding troughs, lambing pens, hay barns and rusty corrugated iron," he says. "Their world is simply such a great subject and I love painting it."
Here's another of his entitled 'Tin Shed':
Wool was the main source of wealth in the region for years so there couldn't be a much more appropriate location for an exhibition dedicated to sheep. In fact I'm reliably informed that the name 'Cotswold' is derived from two words: 'cots' meaning a sheep's shelter, and 'wold' meaning a gently rolling hill. And for any literary geeks amongst you, Daniel Defoe once wrote that 20,000 sheep were sold in a single day in Stow's market square.Gallery owner Sharon Wheaton has been amazed at the interest in the show from both artists and collectors.
"People adore sheep," she says. "It's fascinating to see the any different interpretations our artists are able to create from these gorgeous animals. Too many amateur painting of sheep are glib and populist, but this is a serious exhibition celebrating an animal on which the Cotswolds' economy was based, and which still plays a vital parting the rural community."
I'll leave you with another painting that will be part of the exhibition in May: 'Winter sheep' by Louis Turpin. For more information about the exhibition go to www.fossegallery.com
| Tweet |
|
A pig's trotter has sparked a police investigation in Yorkshire.
A boy discovered what he thought was a severed finger, prompting West Yorkshire Police's 'homicide and major enquiry team' to cordon off the street.
They called off the investigation when they realised it was a pig's trotter.
"The item in question did have the appearance of a human finger," so a policeman told The Yorkshire Evening Post. He also apologised to residents for the disruption caused.
What isn't clear is what said trotter was doing there in the first place...
| Tweet |
|
One Oxfordshire farmshop will be offering a special Valentines weekend treat for shoppers.
The Love Burger will be on offer at Foxbury Farm and the butchers - including Dave Brockwell - reckon the burgers will "embrace the taste buds and ensure love is in the air".
| Tweet |
|
You'll remember we were telling you yesterday about the project we're going to be working with Jilly Cooper on, well here are the full details.
It's a competition to find the Face of British Food Fortnight 2011. We'd love to see your photo submitted...
| Tweet |
|
Guess who Farmers Weekly has been talking to...
Yep, that's right - romp-writer extraordinaire Jilly Cooper.
Jilly is teaming up with us for a special project that will be running in the magazine and on the website over the next few weeks. However, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out more.
By that time I'm sure you'll be positively chomping at the bit. Which - coincidentally - sounds like it could have come straight from the pages of one of Jilly's books...
Yep, that's right - romp-writer extraordinaire Jilly Cooper.Jilly is teaming up with us for a special project that will be running in the magazine and on the website over the next few weeks. However, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out more.
By that time I'm sure you'll be positively chomping at the bit. Which - coincidentally - sounds like it could have come straight from the pages of one of Jilly's books...
| Tweet |
|
This is by far and away the best tribute to the impending Royal nuptials I've seen.Forget naff commemorative chinaware, if you work in the food industry there's only one way to celebrate Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding, and that's a 'fork-trait'.
This tribute is made entirely out of food you'd find in a Great British roast dinner, including gravy for Kate's iconic engagement ring, carrots for Kate's jumper and turkey for the couple's skin (the latter has certain parallels with the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, but I'm trying not to dwell on that...)
It took food artist Prudence Staite over two hours to make, on behalf of Crown Carveries - which owns 115 pubs in the UK.
I could make a slightly mucky pun here about the Prince's meat and two veg, but I'm worried that it could get me sent to the Tower of London for treason. So you'll have to use your imagination.
| Tweet |
|
Farmers in Britain have a lot to content with - but at least they don't have to repel monkey attacks like they do in Ethiopia.
In this clip from BBC One's fantastic Human Planet series, a 12-year-old boy defends his crops from cunning and ravenous Gelada monkeys in the Simien Mountains.
It's from the 'Mountains' episode which will broadcast this Thursday at 8pm.
Here's also some swimming reindeer footage from an earlier show.
| Tweet |
|
These two are back.
Judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace are presiding over a brand new series of MasterChef whick kicks off on February 16 at 9pm on BBC1.
The seventh series, filmed over five months, will feature 15 hour-long programmes in a bid to find the country's best amateur cook from 20,000 applicants.
The makers are promising a balance this year between sweet and savoury, plus some extremely impressive pastry skills.
It's also filmed in a new MasterChef headqaurters. As Gregg puts it: "Flash new set, but it's still the same - an Aussie, a bald bloke and some fantastic food."
I can't wait...
| Tweet |
|
I've heard of sponsoring a dog, but a bee?
'Sponsor a bee' is a fundraising initiative for Roots and Shoots - a project in South London that uses wildlife and gardening to help improve the prospects of disadvantaged young people.
They've also come up with a quirky animated video to say thank you to their many bee sponsors, which is worth watching just to learn that there's a type of bee called a 'hairy footed flower bee'. Puts the plain old bumble to shame.
'Sponsor a bee' is a fundraising initiative for Roots and Shoots - a project in South London that uses wildlife and gardening to help improve the prospects of disadvantaged young people.
They've also come up with a quirky animated video to say thank you to their many bee sponsors, which is worth watching just to learn that there's a type of bee called a 'hairy footed flower bee'. Puts the plain old bumble to shame.
| Tweet |
|
Enjoy watching Shaun The Sheep?
If so, you'll be glad to hear there's a movie featuring the cuddly critter in the pipeline.
Makers Aardman Animations have confirmed that they are developing a film - although it's unlikely to be released until 2013 or 2014.
| Tweet |
|
There's definitely some one-upmanship going on. First it was the Young Farmers in Italy - now it's Harper Adams students in France.
Not to be out-done by the girls posing in Lanzarote, these 16 students from the Shropshire college have been spotted on the slopes of Tignes in the French Alps with their copies of Farmers Weekly.
Continue reading Harper on tour.
| Tweet |
|
Seeing it's Friday afternoon, I think it's time for a fun/dirty/silly/bizarre photo (delete as you see fit).
I really don't know what to make of this. It came in as part of the set I was sent by Billinghay Young Farmers Club which they took for their charity calendar.
| Tweet |
|
It's going to be an early spring.
At least, that's the prediction of America's most famous groubndhog in this story and video in The Telegraph.
| Tweet |
|
Radio 1's Sarah Cox will be DJing at a Harper Adams fundraising event this month.
Sara, who hosts the station's Sunday Morning Lie In, will stage a 90-minute set at the Shropshire venue on Saturday February 12 before heading back to London to do her nationwide Sunday morning show live.
The 36-year-old farmer's daughter will entertain students on a weekend of events raising funds for the Summer Ball which will take place on June 25.
| Tweet |
|
Not to be out-done by the boys who sent Field Day a picture, some of the ladies on a recent skiing trip to Sauze d'Oulx in Italy sent us this photo.
Continue reading Snow belles.
| Tweet |
|
Guess who's visiting Ambridge?
The Duchess of Cornwall will be making a cameo appearance in The Archers, as the Radio 4 soap celebrates its 60th anniversary.
A self-confessed "addict" of the show, Camilla will play herself in a brief cameo which airs on February 16.
Countrywoman Camilla will be 'visiting' Borsetshire in her role as president of the National Osteoporosis Society.
She'll take tea at the Grey Gables hotel in a scene that was recorded at Clarence House before Christmas.
On the night the episode is broadcast, the Duchess will also visit BBC Birmingham to attend a reception to mark the programme's diamond jubilee.
She isn't the first royal to visit Grey Gables, with Princess Margaret having been a surprise guest at an NSPCC fundraising fashion show there in 1984.
The Duchess, according to one cast member, was "relaxed, charming and wonderfully natural".
Show insiders say that she displayed a wide knowledge of plotlines - and even confided to one actor that Jolene was "a bit of a slapper".
| Tweet |
|
People with Land Rovers are being invited to join a world record-breaking attempt and help raise money for Help for Heroes.
Convoy for Heroes will be a weekend of fun and fund-raising at the Heritage Motor Centre in Gaydon, Warwickshire over the Easter weekend of April 23-24.
The core event will be an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the longest Land Rover parade.
So, if you drive a Defender, a Freelander, a Discovery or a Range Rover, you could join in...
| Tweet |
|
You know I mentioned this year's British Wildlife Photography Awards - well, I've been sent this cracker of a shot. It was another of last year's entries - 'Haughty Hare- by Mark Sisson.
| Tweet |
|
Jimmy Doherty's got a new series on BBC2 at 8pm tonight called A Farmer's Life for Me. Might be worth a look...
| Tweet |
|
The Scots have been working hard to get haggis back into America where it's currently banned.
Here's how the story of the delicious/disgusting* dish and the USA was covered in The Independent, The Mail and The Guardian.
* Delete as appropriate.
| Tweet |
|
