Live from the field...
Welcome to the home of The Grumpy Ol' Farmer, also known as Farmer Fred. A real life farmer from Dorset. Read about the real problems, real views and day to day experiences hot from the field.
Welcome to the home of The Grumpy Ol' Farmer, also known as Farmer Fred. A real life farmer from Dorset. Read about the real problems, real views and day to day experiences hot from the field.
Hi there, the above heading was one of my late fathers favourite sayings on mornings such as this, where we are experiencing a lovely warm, sunny, spell of spring weather which really gladdens the heart.
My Dad would always announce his presence with this enthusiastic greeting at the beginning of the day, no matter what problems may have been lurking deep in the back of his mind, on a glorious morning such as this those matters would be placed on the back burner to be sorted at a more appropriate time, for today being springtime it’s a sign of new beginnings a new start, things (whatever they may have been) can only get better. In reality they very rarely did, but being very musically minded those sort headaches were simply whistled or sung away, nothing would distract my Dads appreciation of this fine day.
As kids growing up on the Farm our fathers enthusiasm for the improving conditions would only be bad news for us, as it meant all those horrible mucky or labour intensive chores which he’d been wanting to get on with, were stored up for the weekends when we were around to lend a hand if somewhat reluctantly. I had four siblings and we all took it in turns to help out our parents when needs must, and despite the hardships of trying to make such a small dairy farm pay, mum & dad would always do their best to help us pursue our interests away from the homestead with sport and various youth activities high on our agenda’s, it really was a case of work hard and play hard during those formative years.
Returning to the present time now, and unfortunately March has for my business been something of a none event, but that’s the way it seems to go nowadays when your working to such fine margins in this ever more competitive world. After what was for me a much improved hedge cutting winter period, the on set of early spring has dumped me back to face the harsh realities of business. The small farming businesses which were the lifeblood of my contracting operations have declined notably in the last few years meaning all those little handy jobs I used to do to tide me over until the busier times have all but disappeared, so I have been trying to counteract this with the introduction of haylage and forage sales in recent years, but unfortunately due to the glut of forage about this year the prices have now dropped to less than cost of production which is obviously bad news, so I find myself at the end of the season with half of my stock unsold which is causing me a real concern. I did try to eleviate the situation by entering some haylage bales in a forage auction, and despite reducing the price it didn’t make the reserve so I’ll have to hope things pick up soon, but in the meantime it’s backs against the wall again, but at least the ” Sun is shining and the birds are singing!”
Bye for now.
9th April 2017
Hi there, the heading roughly translated means that spring would appear to be just around the corner, given the mild and peaceful weather conditions we are currently experiencing. I quite often refer back to the very broad (slang if you prefer) West Country dialect when reminiscing about my younger years, then sayings as above seemed perfectly normal when said to you by the older generation whilst showing the inevitable optimistic enthusiasm of hopefully improved all around conditions. One such example of picking up on our linguistic peculiarities was I thought very well portrayed and highlighted in the comedy series The vicar of Dibley when one of the main characters who played a church councillor would always prefix an answer with Yes Yes Yes or No No No which would be the polar opposite to the actual answer he meant. If you were to stop for a minute and refer back to many a conversation you may have had I think would be very surprised at not just how many people if not yourself use this cut down form of language to form our various accents.
The end of February hailed the end of the official hedge cutting season, and I’m pleased to say I have been very fortunate enough to have finished this winters work in good time, with no odd bits and pieces left outstanding due to poor conditions during the trimming period. On the whole I have been very pleased with the way the workload has increased quite significantly this season which was helped by the improved weather conditions during the last six months compared to previous winters when there has often been weeks if not months with little or no progress, which inevitably has an adverse impact on the finances etc.
Here we are now in the early part of March, and I’m finding myself with more time spent on my own farm which is a real pleasure as I spend so much of my working life on other people’s land that it is great to get stuck into some catch up jobs on my own patch. Although time at the Farm is important I’m only too aware it does not provide me with an adequate income to be able to spend as much time as I would like there so it is a case getting on with whatever I feel needs doing before organising operations elsewhere. Whilst spending time at the Farm I’m becoming fully aware of the wildlife activities now taking place as it becomes more active after the winter break. The birds are more vocal now as they pair up for the breeding season, I’ve also notice a lot of them busy sourcing nesting material etc and during the quieter periods of some of the better days there is this lovely buzz of nature coming back to life after its dormant period. I’ve had half a dozen or so Roe deer down around some cover at the bottom of the Farm, but on a couple of occasions last week a few nomad Fallow deer passed through to who knows where which is always nice to see. In my largest field I’ve spied a handful of quite sedate hares trying not to be noticed as they went about there daylight activities without any of the signs of the March madness normally associated with these wonderful creatures. So all in all it’s all starting to take shape, I for one never get tired of hearing the sounds of the active countryside I’m very fortunate in that respect,it is without doubt one of the best remedies I know in helping to relieve the stresses and strains of a busy working life, now let’s get back home to catch up on the latest news about BREXIT & TRUMP!!!
cheers for now
14th March 2017
Hello there!
It seems like just a blink of an eye since my last post, but in reality it is some weeks now with the Christmas and new year celebrations a distent and pleasurable memory. One reason I guess for the apparent disappearance of time is that I have been so busy with my hedge trimming commitments, and still can’t quite believe how fortunate I have been this season to be able to take on new work offered to me over and above my normal workload. This is a consiquence of the continuing weather conditions which appear to be working with me for once. On the brief occasions when we do get a wet spell I simply revert to road and lane work, and then when the downpours stop there has been sufficient cold and dry weather to allow me back into the fields, infact as I write this blog in the second half of January we are enjoying another lovely spell of cold and frosty days and nights together with some clear days of unbroken sunshine which although can prove to be a bit dazzling (if you don’t plan your work route correctly)are wonderful for lifting the spirits, so all in all it makes for a very satisfied basher man!
As is so often the case where business and agricultural is concerned I have been experiencing the seesaw effect, i.e. where one thing is good then something else is trying its best to counteract it, and in my case it’s my haylage sales which are significantly down on recent years. This now presents me with a bit of a dilemma, I have to make a decision very shortly as to whether I should enter a number of bales into a fodder sale where I have to accept that it may only go for its cost price together with having to forfeit the auctioneers commission, or should I hang on and hope we have a late spring where by I could realise some sort of profit dare I say. On occasions such as this I do tend to sympathise a little with those city traders who have to make these sort of decisions on a daily basis, it’s a case of trying to look into that crystal ball and hoping the decision you make will end up be the least damaging one financially.
On the wildlife front there is very little to report from the Farm, apart from sightings of a couple of hares, and on the odd occasions I noted some Roe deer, but as the evenings start to draw out as they are now then things will begin to liven up once more.
Bye for now
23rd January 2017
Hi there, ( BASHIN ) is a term a good mate and I adopted some years ago to describe our main activity during this time of the year, which as previously stated is hedge cutting. To us it is a contradiction in terms as both of us are really keen to dispel the popular image of mechanical flail hedging by being really enthusiastic about trying to trim hedges as neatly and tidy as the particular hedge material will allow. Having said that during the course of the last two or three weeks I have been heavily involved in trying to cut back some seriously overgrown hedges for a customer who had fairly recently purchased quite a large parcel of land incorporating some miles of these neglected boundaries, which took some serious bashing to get back into shape. When confronted with a situation such as the one I have just described, your senses are on high alert mainly due to the fact that you can’t see clearly what your machine is about to encounter, as all sorts of obstacles could be lurking within the densely overgrown scrub.
As the customer has no idea of what may lay disguised within the tangled brambles etc, I have to proceed with caution whilst trying to maintain a reasonable output. My main worry is to avoid badly maintained fences etc which are hard to identify when buried within the overgrown hedge canopy. Some of the hedges I have been tackling for instance had some three or four metres of scrub before I could even gain a site of the fence line!, but once I have I then assess the condition of the posts and wire to satisfy myself as to whether I could trim up close to it for a tidier finish or should I stay well clear for fear of getting tangled up with what can be in some cases a dangerous situation.
If you are unlucky enough to encounter wire then there is the chance that pieces can become detached and propelled at a serious rate of knots anywhere, but more often than not it is in the tractor and operators direction! In the past I have had tyres punctured due to such events, but far more worrying is knowing that some unlucky users have in fact lost eyes, or in one case as portrayed on the BBC program 999 some years ago, suffered a punctured lung, and was lucky to survive, so concentration levels have to remain high to reduce such risks.
Thankfully I have managed to finish that particular run of work unscathed,but did come close to getting tangled up in an old rusty gate which was led down and grown in the brambles, together with some old barn steels which had suffered the same fate.
Obviously the more overgrown a hedge, the more passes are required to achieve the desired finish, so I have been very fortunate the ground conditions have remained favourable for such activities, but it is now on the change as we are experiencing more wet and damp days conducive to the time of year, so the field work will now have to be completed on an as and when basis, and I’m now going to spend more of my time on road work. More on that next time.
Bye for now.
14th November 2016
Hi there, I’m certainly not complaining, but we have been experiencing a particularly tepid spell of weather around here of late, which in turn has helped the trees maintain a good canopy of leaves. Up until this last week or so though there hadn’t been too much to talk about colour wise, but now given that we did experienced some colder conditions back along, the autumn show is there for all to see and hopefully enjoy.
The season has to change though and for once it’s nice to experience it happening at a more sedate pace. On my Sunday run this morning again there was hardly a breath of wind to blow away the the misty fog from the low lying valleys, but there was just a whisper of a breeze to detach the more fragile of leaves from the overhanging branches as I puffed around the quiet lanes surrounding my village. By now a good proportion were falling to the ground in a fashion similar I thought to confetti at a wedding. The multi coloured carpet lay there infrount of me as I made progress crunching noticeably with every footstep, I smiled to myself as I compared it to a road strewn with cornflakes mainly because a lot of them by now are of a similar colour, as well as texture. I made the most of my experience this morning as in normal (of late ) years the high winds and storms would not present such a spectacle for as long a period so I’m grateful for that, as it can and probably will change all too soon.
bye for now
30th October 2016
Hi there, I’ve not spotted a swallow now at the farm for just about a fortnight or so, they hung around a little longer this year due mainly I suppose to the lovely weather we have been experiencing in these parts. It is an inevitable part of this time of the year I know, but as they depart I have to admit I am filled with the mixed feelings of not only being thankful to them for the summers entertainment they provide me, but also with trepidation at the journey they have now embarked upon. Being a bit of a soppy old sod i do feel the farms swallows and myself have something in common, which is we were both born and bred there. For as long as I can remember year on year they have returned without fail, to nest in one building in particular,which in the first instance was my fathers farm tool house where in the absence of a glass or two from the windows they could freely access and leave without a problem. They can be messy little devils though, and To that end my brother when he was running the farm, did try to keep them out by re-glazing the windows and keeping the door firmly shut at all times, but on just one occasion brother was a little hesitant at closing the door whilst entering the now newly named “Workshop” and one swooped in almost taking bruvs ear with it. Once in,there was no going back the rest duely followed to begin the process of setting up home for the summer. Times have moved on since then, and now the farmhouse is no longer home to any family member of mine, but the present incumbent was willing to listen to my stories of the swallow inhabitation, and is quite happy to leave the workshop door ajar during the nesting season as well put sheeting down to reduce the risk of the mess covering too much.
The Farm is home to quite a few visiting swallows throughout the susummer, with Martins appearing on a regular basis to join in with the swallows to perform mesmerising acrobatics whilst in the persuit of their dinner or tea. One of my most effective ways of distressing after a long summer days work is to sit quietly at the Farm to watch the activities of my seasonal visiting friends, whether it is their constant chattering on a rooftop or power cable to watching them in the process of a refreshing I presume dust bath they are a pleasure to behold. My greatest thrill though this last August was to take a walk one evening down to the pond I had reinstated just over a year ago, and witness both swallows and martins skimming the water, either for a drink or perhaps picking off some the many insects that live there now in abundance. I did on one occasion spot some swifts over the Farm which is something of a rare occurrence these days, I know they are common place not too far away, but for me it was nice to see them over my patch. So now as autumn takes hold I’m wishing my seasonal visitors safe passage to wherever, and look forward to their return when they are ready.
Thanks for your time
bye for now
30th October 2016
Hi there, for fear of repeating myself a quick comment on the weather. As with most sectors of society the weather is the main topic of conversation none more so than perhaps this week. Whilst we here in Dorset are enjoying a very nice spell of weather being reasonably mild and placid, we must spare a thought for all of those people over in Haiti, Florida etc who are suffering the full effects of hurricane Mathew, the last news on the devastation over there suggested 900 lost soles so far, what a nightmare!! So when I was greeted by a neighbour this week telling me it was ” a bit chilly ” I was a lot less than sympathetic I can tell you. Anyway on to the subject in hand, this week being the first in October see’s me settling in to my autumn/winter work routine very nicely thank you. After a couple weeks or so of playing catch up with the hedge cutter, where I have been able to complete some smaller clients work which I couldn’t get to last winter due to the wet conditions, I have this week made a start on my local estates hedges. For me this represents a good run of work as long as the good ground conditions prevail, and just now they certainly do, so I’m progressing at a pace to make the most of it!
so my week involved Monday to Friday good days of hedging followed a bit of a change on Saturday when I had to breifly take the trimmer off to deliver a load of haylage down to a racing stable in the morning then return to put the hedge cutter back on, and continue trimming, quite a full on day. With the better weather a typical week for me should remain at about 70-80 hrs of work which to a younger man in farming may seem a tad lightweight, but is enough for me now a days. Now on the Sunday it’s my recreation day, my health and fitness are very important to me after a bit of a scare some years ago now, so first thing today after a bit of a later start it’s off for a 7.5/8 mile run-jog-stagger!! (mainly in that order!) warn down then into some business admin work i.e. Invoicing customers etc, but this week it’s preparing paperwork for my VAT return. This afternoon I will hopefully take in a 3-4 mile walk out in the countryside somewhere before getting back to watch countryfile on the box as well as the strictly result show. All this helps keep my head straight for what promises to be another full on working week given the latest weather forecast. So I’ll be bashing on with it.
cheers for now.
9th October 2016
I spend a lot of time in my tractor (as you may have already guessed) with only my radio for company, sometimes for days on end so as you can imagine I take quite an interest in the content of a lot of the programs I listen to. The channel of choice is bbc radio 2, I like all the presenters from early in the morning till I’ve had enough at the end of the day, the diversity of the music suits me just fine as I do have a very eclectic taste where those sounds are concerned but more on that at a later date.
last week though I just could not believe my ears, firstly during one afternoon interview being held by Steve Wright some kind of scientist was professing to have proven through lengthy surveys that trees could talk to each other he’s even written a book about the subject, well I found that somewhat difficult to believe, but worse was to follow when on the Jeremy Vine programme the following day, Noel Edmonds was interviewed on his ability to cure animals namely cats of there various anxieties by speaking to them down the phone!! Some how Jeremy Vine was able to hold it together whilst an example of Noel Edmonds new found talent took place and we experienced the sound of this highly respected celebrity presenter talking via a telephone to a depressed cat situated in the radio studio! Well I was gobsmacked, whilst I am fully aware of how important animals as pets are to people I just do not understand this kind of behaviour, and if Mr Edmonds is hoping to profit from such a venture then he has certainly sunk further in my estimations.
cheers for now.
27th September 2016
The summer has now left us making way for the seasonal convoy of weather frounts bringing with it the winds and rain, and whilst knowing this is all too inevitable I’m like so many others in our industry just hoping there are no serious extremes in the pipeline.
The weather is such a huge topic with more or less everyone I guess nowadays, but we do tend to just think it is us that the storm clouds have a personal grudge against at times, take my experience last week for instance when I spent some long days ploughing and preparing seed beds for some customers of mine, but once I returned to my own farm to drill some grass seed for myself the heavens duly opened up to spoil things for the time being, yet a couple miles down the road they experienced no more than a spot or two…….Typical!!
All in all the weather has treated me very well during the summer months so I can’t complain, as I know there are some parts of the country which have certainly not fared as well. I will now be settling into my main winter preoccupation of hedge cutting in earnest to complete as much as I can before ground conditions deteriorate too much so I will update you of my progress as time passes.
cheers
27th September 2016
Hi there, this is yet again another critical period from a farming point of view. I’m writing this on the 1st of September the first day of autumn so the weather man is telling me, but I’m (like a lot of others involved in agriculture) still wanting it to stay as summer for a while longer yet.
The feeling is like being stranded at the station whilst simultaneously watching your last train leave the platform with out you, your desperately wanting a bit more time to finish up the last of the traditionaly summer jobs whilst the better conditions prevail.
The main of the harvest is completed generally, but due to the inclement weather earlier in the year I’m hearing the yields are not record breaking, so especially here in west Dorset on the hills it is vital to harvest the remaining corn before the conditions deteriorate too drastically. I’m hoping to get the last of my haylage baled and wrapped today at the farm, an operation carried out by my contractor mates Mark, Tom, and Jack, there reliability is the key factor in the quality of the product I’m trying to produce.
My day will be mainly taken up with spraying off old tired pastures for a couple of customers who are obviously wanting to renew their grass crops now that they have become less productive and hence more susceptible to weed contamination, as well as keeping one eye on the operations back at my farm.
Ideally I wish I could spend more time at the farm, especially at times like this, but the contract work does provide the bulk of my income so it is a tough juggling act at times to separate my heart from my head!! As I’ve said there is plenty to be getting on with on the land all over the country whilst the weather holds, but I’ve just been informed the first seasonal remnants of a hurricane is now making its way over the Atlantic, I have customers ringing up wanting hedges cut, fields ploughed, grass seeds drilled, before it gets too wet…….quick stop that train!!!!
Thanks for your time.
Cheers.
1st September 2016