November 2011 Archives

Drink beer to save birds.

That might sound a bit far-fetched, but is exactly what happens with Light Twite Pale Ale.

Real ale enthusiasts are being encouraged to drink it this Christmas to help save an endangered small ground-nesting bird of the South Pennines.

Pennine Prospects, working with the RSPB, has workde on a number of initiatives through the Watershed Landscape project to help the struggling Twite, which in England now only breeds in the South Pennines and whose population had dropped by over 90% in the past 14 years.

Now the Little Valley Brewery has joined the fight to save the Twite, locally known as the Pennine Finch, with the introduction of the Light Twite, an organic bottle-conditioned pale ale, which is available from Hebden Bridge Visitor and Canal Centre.

• Tables named after cows and calves

• Cattle ear tags as placecards

• A British Blue themed wedding cake

• Wedding photos surrounded by their herd

• Roast beef for dinner

• A honeymoon touring cattle farms in Texas

More than 15 members of Somerset Young Farmers Severn Group have dared to bare nearly all for a 2012 calendar. 

This is being billed as "comedy gold" on the internet - but it also shows what dangers unruly dogs can present around wild animals.

The footage, taken on a phone in Richmond Park, Surrey, shows a dog pursuing a herd of deer with a frantic dog walker trailing helplessly behind. 

The strange reference to 'Jesus Christ' in the title seemingly refers to what the dog walker is yelling.

Elfriede the chicken is best of friends with the sheep on one farm in Germany.

Like this picture. It's called Welsummer Cockerel and is by artist James Bartholomew.

It's just one of many pictures that'll be exhibited at the Watercolours & Works on Paper Fair 2012 at the Science Museum in London from February 2-5, 2012.

This has got to be the world's largest house pet.

Pictures and video of a buffalo - yes, a buffalo - indoors and in a car.

Only in Canada.

And you can see more photos here. 

It reminded me of the picture at the bottom of this post of a farmer taking a bull to market in his car.

Want an after-dinner luxury to add to your Christmas menu this year?

Well this British cheese made of real gold might fit the bill, although it'll probably only be on the tables of the rich and famous as it costs £60 per 100g slice.

Long Clawson Stilton Gold, made from premium white Stilton, is shot-through with a combination of real edible gold leaf and real gold-Cinnamon Schapps.

According to the Daily Mail, there have already been inquiries about the product - which, at 67-times the price of regular Stilton it's dubbed 'Britain's most bling cheese' - from a Gulf-based oil sheikh and a famous pop star.

The X Factor judge Kelly Rowland has been unveiled as the latest celebrity to front the Make Mine Milk campaign.

West Country band The Wurzels have released their first ever Christmas album since forming in 1965.

The famous 'Scrumpy and Western' band have put their distinctive stamp on this fine collection of yuletide classics including Winter Wonderland, White Christmas, Merry Christmas & Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.

And throwing their Santa hats into the race for the Christmas number 1, The Wurzels are releasing a double A side single of Sleigh Ride & White Christmas.

The Wurzels shot to number 1 in 1977 with 'Combine Harvester' and a later popular favourite was 'I am A Cider Drinker'.

The Wurzels - Pete Budd, Tommy Banner, Sedge Moore & John Morgan - continue to play over 100 shows a year to sell out crowds all over the country, with regular festival appearances at Bestival, Guilfest, Finsbury Park and Glastonbury.

Read Farmers Weekly interview with the band from last year.

A cow was given a red card recently by a startled referee after it invaded the pitch during a football game.

The animal ran on 10 minutes into the adult league game in the village of Potterspury, Buckinghamshire.

Wonder what its mooves were like?

These guys don't looked appropriately dressed for muck spreading, do they?

Don't say I never do anything for you.

I've tipped you off about the Farmers Weekly Photography Competition (which has a £700 camera and £700 cash as prizes), I told you about the chance to win £200 reviewing an agricultural college or university and now here's another opportunity to win some dosh. Just £25 this time - but you can show your wit with words in FW's November Caption Competition. Just come up with a great caption for this picture and post it on our forums.

Are you studying agriculture or a related subject at college or university? Or maybe you did and are now working?

If so, FW wants to hear your opinions. There's £200 on offer for the review we like best of a course or place of study. Submissions can be either in words, pictures or video.

Harper Adams has unveiled the winners of its 2011 Photography Exhibition.

More than 70 amateur photographers, all with a link to Shropshire, submitted work fitting the 'rural landscapes and structures' theme.

I see The Archers has been taken to task by the Countryside Alliance.

The Alliance's chief exec Alice Barnard put out a statement saying she was "surprised and disappointed" at a recent storyline.

Thanks to Mark Pettitt who's managed to up the ante on the animal-shaped potato front.

Remember the tortoise-shaped tuber? Well, Mark sent us this shot of a duck-shaped one grown by a farmer near Scunthorpe, who he helps out with harvesting the crop.

It was harvested in mid-October and the farmer gave it to Mark, so he could enter it in an unusual veg class of a local allotment club.

"It is a Maris Piper, the whole crop had some very large tubers, many as big as a size 11 shoe," says Mark. "This was the largest and best, of two ''duck'' shaped potatoes that we came across."

He drew the eye on it - but, other than that, it's as it came out of the field.

Mark has, incidentally, featured on Field Day before. He lives in 'Britain's Most Haunted Farmhouse' and the FW crew once spent a very scary night 'ghostbusting' in the house.

Farm animals and a dog called Biggles will be among the subjects that will be on show at the Knitting and Stitching Show at the International Centre, Harrogate, from November 24 to November 27.

The Royal School of Needlework will for the first time exhibit all of the Hilda Watson Collection of silk shaded animals. The 16 pieces were commissioned by Derek Watson in memory of his mother and were worked by the leading apprentice in silk shading embroidery over more than 16 years. This is the first time they will have all been seen together in public.

Alongside the Hilda Watson Collection will be work by current certificate and diploma students and some historic examples of silk shading from the Royal School of Needlework Collection.