September 2011 Archives

Potato Week starts tomorrow (October 1) so, just to get you in the mood, here's a recipe take on an Italian classic recipe using the not-so-humble spud.

First there was the bullock with its head stuck in a ladder, now news reaches me of this cow in Poland with its head stuck in a concrete pylon.

It was, you'll be glad to hear, eventually extracted safely.

Picture East News/Rex Features

Farmers who have diversified are being offered the opportunity to be part of a unique Christmas shopping list aimed at farmers and farming families.

Farmer Weekly wants to compile a Christmas shopping special that showcases some of the finest products produced on British farms by British farmers.

It may only be September, but some people are already starting to think about what gifts they might buy for their nearest and dearest.

So are you a farm-based diversification? Do you sell a product that you think would make an ideal Christmas present?

It might be food or drink, clothing, something for the house or garden, an item for a pet, something for the fashion buff or country sports enthusiast or even a wacky curiosity - anything, in fact, as long as it can be ordered over the phone or online and delivered nationwide.

You may sell loads of items you think would be a perfect pressie for members of farming families - but pick the one that you think is most suited for Christmas (also make sure it's one that you won't run out of stock of).

We will be planning to feature about 10 items in our Christmas shopping special in the magazine and lots more online.

To be in the running to be featured, simply answer these quick questions. We only need short answers for each (so no more than 200 words in total please) - plus we need a sharp high-quality photo of the item.

1.  What is the product (description and price - plus postage)?
2.  Why would it make an ideal Christmas present?
3.  What else do you sell?
4.  Tell us about your retail business?
5.  Tell us about your farming connection?
6.  How can people order?

Email your answers to us or add them to the website forum thread before Friday October 21.

Are you a famer between Bristol and London? Fancy being on TV? Always dreamed of hosting an explosion on your land?

This could be just the opportunity you've been looking for.

A small, four-week selling exhibition of limited edition photographic prints by Norfolk-born photographer Justin Partyka opens this Saturday.

The exhibition is open each Saturday in October from 11am-5pm at White House Farm, Great Glemham.

This story made me laugh - never mind the power of pop stardom and showbiz. This County Down farmer was none too happy at seeing Rihanna getting her kit off on his land so read her the riot act.

Let's be honest, it's not the response that would have been elucidated from a lot of farmers...

Meet the sheep brought up with a spaniel who thinks it's a dog.

Read the full story and see photos and video in The Mirror, The Daily Mail and The Sun.

It's a great year for apples. So, here's a simple - but yummy - idea for what to do with your bumper Bramleys.

This fallow deer picture, taken by Mark Smith from Surrey, is one of the winners in the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Awards.

Members of Shropshire Young Farmers Clubs have canoed 70 miles for charity.

Apple cake, pork and apricots, sticky toffee pudding, savoury leek pudding, mulled cider...

Hungry yet? If so, here are five great recipes.

Farmers in Snowdonia National Park have become the stars of a new book, thanks to an initiative involving the Farmers Union of Wales and a London-born photographer.

The bilingual book, Meirionnydd, showcases portraits taken by renowned photographer Chris Clunn, giving an insight into the lives of 61 men and women living and working traditional family hill farms.

View more pictures on the BBC's website. 

Baking bread and having a go at being a pizza chef will among the many activities visitors to the Countryside Live event will get a chance to try their hand at next month.

A Cumbrian herdwick sheep farmer has become the star of a new advertising campaign.

Among those exhibiting work at the The Autumn Exhibition of The Society of Equestrian Artists will be Kent-based farmer's wife Becky Mair.

A Norfolk butcher has claimed victory in the county's popular Battle of the Bangers contest - for the fourth year.

Remember that octupus that could supposedly predict the outcome of games in last year's football World Cup?

Well now meet Sonny Wool - the rugby world cup psychic sheep. I really have heard it all now.

Funny, what you find on the Daily Mail's website. After just reading that 'Loch Ness Monster' story, someone pointed me in the direction of this story about a child suckling on cows milk. It's got some altogether weird photos with it, so be warned, before you click on this link...

A fish farmer in Scotland reckons he's taken photographs that prove the existence of the Loch Ness Monster - they've been published in, among other places, the Daily Mail.

The photos show something in the water but, well, how shall we put this nicely - they're not exactly conclusive.

Here's something you don't see every day: a photograph of a woman in a bath with a chicken.

A pig farm employee from North Yorkshire has won £1m on a TV show.

Darren Thompson claimed the top prize on ITV's Red or Black, becoming the third winner of the show.

The 37-year-old from Bedale correctly guessed the right outcome in 10 rounds of the show, the live finale of which was watched by millions of viewers last Thursday night.

After his big win, the dad-of-two told the press that he'd get two pigs of his own and call them Ant and Dec, after the Geordie duo who present the programme, and vowed to carry on work.

"I did tell my boss that if I win the million don't expect me in on Saturday, but I will go back in on Sunday. I won't be giving up work," he said.

He also joked about buying 365 pairs of socks, one for every day of the year, because of the effect farm work has on his laundry!

"I'm in wellies 10 hours a day and poor old Hayley [my fiancee] has got some proper stinkers to wash," he said.

• If you won £1m, what would you spend it on? A farm? Or something completely different? Tell us on Farmers Weekly's website forums.

Handy with a camera? Why not enter Cumbria Wildlife Trust's wildlife photograph competition? You can find full details here. 

What, you might well wonder, are so many Young Farmers doing crammed in a cattle crush?

I don't blog on pets for ages - then two topics of interest come along at once. 

The Society of Feline Artists are currently holding an exhibition, while those who prefer pooches might like these vintage dog photographs.

A daring sheep rescue. Read the full story here.

The arrival of a family of hedgehogs near the Countryside Restoration Trust's office in Cambridgeshire has promoted the organisation to instigate traffic-calming measures.

What do we think of elks?

I'm in two minds. On the one hand, they're seemingly kind animals, as this marmot rescue demonstrates.

It also seems, though, that they are heavy drinkers...

Shooting enthusiasts should check out the inaugural Bisley Live country sports show, which runs from September 30 to October 2.

The family orientated three-day event is designed to promote shooting to the public and will showcase hundreds of exhibitors, as well as shooting competitions, fashion shows, working dog demonstrations and lectures.

Across the historic 3,000-acre Bisley camp, there will be more than 200 exhibitors showcasing the latest guns, ammunition, clothing and accessories. There'll even be an opportunity for visitors to try a range of sporting rifles, shotguns and air rifles before potentially buying them.

Seems like British farmers may be spared their blushes this Friday.

Across Europe, men are being urged to go without their underpants on September 9 as a protest against pig castration.

The Belgian animal welfare organisation GAIA (Global Action in the Interest of Animals) is behind the campaign named 'Let Them Dangle'.

It's intended to raise awareness of the 5 million piglets castrated without anaesthetic each year. GAIA also hopes that wives and girlfriends will back the move by hiding their partners' underwear.

According to National Pig Association chairman, Stewart Houston, British men have nothing to fear and can venture forth fully clothed.

"As is often the case in matters of animal welfare, the UK is already ahead of the rest of Europe," he says. "Although castration is not actually banned in the UK, it is not allowed under our farm assurance schemes which account for 92% of the pigs in the UK."

Supporters hope that the protests will encourage supermarkets and farmers to turn their backs on pig castration.

Matthew Sharp

Two very different sectors of London have made an attempt to tackle Europe's dwindling bee populations.

In a gesture of altruism perhaps uncharacteristic of the City, the London Stock Exchange's roof is to host two beehives. In a perhaps more typical move, this honey will be used for corporate gifts (maybe it would be better used as bankers bonuses in these times of austerity).

At the other end of the spectrum, school children in Greenwich have had bee keeping introduced to their curriculum after bees descended on their school. This includes some novel topics such as studying the insects' "waggle dance" in PE.

Laura Stevens

I've mentioned the rural artist Thuline de Cock before, as I'm a fan of her work.

She'll be having an open studio and exhibition from September 17 - October 2.

It's part of  the C-Art Open Studio trail, a large event happening throughout Cumbria that's organised by Eden Arts.

In the same week that one farmer has helped save the smallest cows in the world from extinction, one micro-pig breeder has been forced into personal bankruptcy after mistakenly selling full-sized breeds to customers.

Jay Brittain keeps zebus cows which stand fully grown at 36 inches and weight a mere five stone (the size of an average dog), but let's hope that they don't grow unexpectedly big - which is precisely what happened to some of the 'micro-pigs' sold by Jane Croft.

Her initially successful business (demand for the pint-sized porkers has been high, with the likes of David Tennant and Victoria Beckham fans of them), but she fell foul of a rogue seller and a Facebook hate campaign, according to the Daily Mail, which ended in her being declared bankrupt.

Laura Stevens

Being wooed by a bull might be most cows' dream - but it certainly wasn't the case for wayward German dairy cow Yvonne.

She had evaded various attempts to capture her since escaping from a farm in Bavaria in May - including the introduction of breeding bull Ernst in a bid to encourage her back into captivity. She'd been 'lying low', with a $10,000 reward on her head.

After police ordered hunters to shoot her, every attempt was made to catch the unruly beast.

Bringing in her calf, her 'best friend' and Ernst all proved unsuccessful. It wasn't until the lonely cow wandered into the meadows of German farmer Konrad Gutmann, who has since claimed the reward, that she was nabbed.

Despite having to be tranquillised, Yvonne is now living in The Gut Aiderbichl animal sanctuary and is said to be living a 'free' life after being saved from the threat of hunters.

You could say it was lucky they trac-tor down.

Watch a short video of Yvonne on The Guardian's website and see a slideshow of picture of the dramatic capture.

Matthew Sharp

Fans of the TV show Masterchef will be interested to know that former finalist Tim Kinnaird is set to headline one of East Anglia's largest food festivals.

The former children's doctor, who made it to the final three of the BBC competition in 2010, will be at The Regional & British Producer Fayre at La Hogue Farm in September.

The event takes place on September 17-18 and is part of British Food Fortnight celebrations.

It will include over 70 producers and farmers including beekeepers, cheesemakers, local ales, apple growers, fudgemakers and goose keepers.

Tim has set up a fine Patisserie & Macaron business in Norfolk called Macarons & More. 

Am loving this picure. It was loaded into FW's Harvest Highlights photo gallery by "rachyb", with the caption: "Mains of Pittarrow, Laurencekirk - red sky at night, harvest delight".

This painting of the great and the good in farming in the 19th century is coming up for sale in Cheffins' September Fine Art sale.

This preliminary sketch of 'The Meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society' was painted by Richard Ansdell in 1842 as preparation for the final great painting, which now hangs in the Society's council chamber at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.

The 31 x 90cm oil on canvas has an estimate of £3,000-5,000.

Are you a blogger, looking for a new outlet for your talents? Maybe you're a budding one, looking for an exiting challenge?

Perhaps you've got something you want to get off your chest? A quirky take on the news? Would you like to reach a large audience of like-minded individuals?

Well, we're looking for guest bloggers to feature on Field Day so if you'd like to have a go, get in touch.

Just let us know what you'd like to write a post about. It can be on any subject connected to the countryside - but having a flick back through a few Field Day posts will give you a flavour of the types of topics readers enjoy.

Maybe you want to celebrate an aspect of rural life? Have a good old grumble about a current issue that gets your goat? Maybe you enjoy cooking and would like to share a recipe? Or, who knows, perhaps you even keep rare geese and would like to gander on about them?

Just email tim.relf@rbi.co.uk with a brief outline of your idea, plus a few details about yourself.

Good luck.