John Glover
John Glover
John Glover currently milks
65 cows plus followers on a
20ha (51-acre) county
council holding near
Lutterworth, Leicestershire,
with a further 13ha (32
acres) of land.
He is due to move farms,
having recently gained the tenancy of another
40ha (100-acre) county
council farm.
DOWN came the rain. The weather can always be relied on to cause problems. Maize harvest has not yet started; the first delay was waiting for the clamp area to be finished, but I now have a Tarmac base which was put down on Oct 7.
The base was made using hardcore from the old parlour building and old concrete removed during the building work. This was crushed using a hired machine to reduce it to pieces of about 7.5cm (3in) and smaller, producing 150t of usable hardcore. The Tarmac was laid on top of this in two layers, the first a coarser mix 7.5-10cm (3-4in) thick, topped with a fine mix containing sand to produce a smooth, fine finish with no joints. The total finished area is about 12.1m x 36.6m (40ft x 120ft).
With clamp ready, bale walls in place, the contractor arranged for the weekend, down came the rain.
The following Tuesday – we will be there at 4pm, says the contractor. The walls were sheeted and ready at 3.45pm when the phone rings. "We are ready to start but its raining here – whats it doing with you?" Down came the rain. Its now Friday, the clouds have lifted and the wind is blowing – I await a phone call.
There is another hazard to overcome during the maize harvest this year; 13 acres is grown away from home and a new dual carriageway is being constructed through it. This splits it into two-acre and 11-acre fields, the 11 acres having to be brought 400yd down the new road which, as yet, remains a mud track, before joining the old road.
We have still not moved farms and so travel to milk every day. After a lull with calving we have started again, so newly calved cows go one way and dry cows come back. The yard looks like a car-park as all the various trades are here at once – electricians, plumbers, builders, dairy engineers and bulk tank fitters all working together.
The delay – almost a month – has inconvenienced ourselves, and also the incoming tenants, as well as the farms who sold them cows but are still waiting to move them. Our thanks must go to them for their patience. *
The yard at Misterton Fields Farm is currently like a car park as all the tradesmen are trying to finish their tasks before the Glovers move.