FARMER FOCUS:Take a close look at the milk market
November is still unusually warm. There are still flies and I still have to mow the lawn. I pinched myself just to make sure I was still in north Yorkshire.
It is rather wet and windy so any daft idea I had about letting the cows out into one of the still lush fields died when the rain and wind came last night.
There are lots of interesting things happening in the milk market at present and I think it is worth having a serious look at what is out there and how it may affect you in the future.
As ever though, it is all a big gamble and I wish I could glimpse into the future.
Mind you, we once named dad mystic Mol (mol being short for Maurice), as he is very good at looking into the future, or at least he always says: “I told you so”.
Sadly, my Dad’s mystic skills let us down this weekend. Unfortunately, he was unable to predict the breaking down of the mixer wagon.
Why is it that these disasters always happen on a weekend when no one, other than farmers, are at work?
Anyway, I would like to say a big thank you and an honourable mention to one of our neighbours, who quite literally saved the day by lending us their mixer wagon for several hours. Seriously Woody, we owe you.
It looks like we have got a good buyer for our British Blue x Jerseys. They are looking good and the contents of the calf house will soon be on their merry way to Aberdeen.
One of the good points of the Yorkshire Dales is that TB is still on four-year vet checks despite the fact we have a heavy badger population. They must be healthy badgers up here.
Finally, with all the recent down pours and run off water there has been an abundance of slurry on the farm.
Adrian Harrison farms 81ha in partnership with his father Maurice in Wensleydale, Yorkshire. He runs 130 pedigree Jersey cows with 70 followers. Milk is used to make Wensleydale cheese