Farmer Focus: Neville and Margaret Stacey

EWES HAVE now been scanned, Lorna Brown”s efforts revealing some pleasing results. Yearlings scannedat 170% and the rest averaged 166%. We have taken the chance to sell the barrens, 12 averaging 23 a head in Welshpool.

 Older ewes have been sorted and twin and triplet bearers in their four-star accommodation. Tending to them makes a welcome change from the bovine shovelling job.

 Regular readers may remember the Texel Cross hogg – her with ears like rotor blades who we gave to our granddaughters. She is enormous and so was put with the rams instead of wintering away, and wouldn”t you know it – she”s barren.

In the interests of good management I thought she should be sold – there”s no room for slackers here. At the first mention of this I was set upon by the females of the family who reminded me, forcibly, that she is no longer mine to sell.

The Soil Management Self Assessment form has been submitted, so I hope we are over the first hurdle to SFP. The final check date form for extensification payments has also been sent, with an IACS 22 relating to our daughter”s building plot.

Unfortunately, we missed Perth bull sales and the excitement of seeing the 30,000gns Angus bull being sold. David Leggat must have been doing a Highland Fling on the rostrum.

 Instead, we went to a Waitrose do in honour of Richard Saddler, who is retiring. Richard was once described to us as a visionary. It”s true – where Richard has led, others follow.

In his long buying career with Waitrose he has been the driving force in setting up many producer groups to the benefit of all concerned. A man with so much energy, drive and enthusiasm will not be idle for long. We wish him a long, healthy and happy retirement. But we can”t see him settling for slippers by the fireside quite yet.