Last saturday I had to do a shop which I hate anyway, but Tesco and Morrisons carparks were full. Difficult to park in a landrover anyway. The snow had sent everyone in a panic would they ever eat again?

Did my shop tesco had an offer?  Spend 40 get £5 voucher for next week. Spend £60 get £5 voucher  and 10p off your fuel. Despite the people waiting, I split my shopping into two and got my first £5 and fuel voucher, then started again for another voucher and fuel. Not in the habit of spending this amount but the cupbroards were empty and I had been ordered to shop. The fuel vouchers will be used this week but anyone want a £5 voucher.

Anyway to my questionis,  having spent days watering, freezing and totally fed up of this weather and carrying hot water to free up water tanks and looking more like balloon due to all the clothes I am wearing: Did any of the shoppers give any thought to how their shopping got to Tescos from the farm or grower to the wagon driver than had to drive in the terrible weather . All I can say is I do hope so and they think of us whether we are feeding milking or packing veg.I can only dream after all. 

Bessie, I'd probably say: Yes, some people care. Maybe not the majority, but I think increasingly people do. Reckon the public's perception of farming - and the crucial role farmers play - has improved more in the last 5 years than it did in the previous 20.

Hope your water tanks don't freeze too much more

Bessie, I think Tim is right.  We are surrounded by ex-suburbanites who when they first arrived got all narky about the hunt and one even complained about the early hour I fed my sheep causing them to bleat noisily.  He even went as far as attempting to get the other half to dampen the reversing beeper on the telehandler until I made my point about being on the floor, opening gates, holding cattle back in the wind and rain in the dark unable to hear the engine coming at me. 

My point is that all these neighbours seem to have realised that the idyllic countryside they moved to is in fact an industrial site producing food and none the worse for it.  They are happy to stand in gateways, do the school run in an emergency and always let me know if someone is shooting, dogs are worrying sheep, strangers are lurking or if they have righted a cast ewe.  It has taken a long time for some of them (10 years) but they have all come good in the end.  It's not that they don't care but it doesn't occur to them to think about others, let alone those who stock the shelves.