Longhope Diary July 2015

1/7/2015

Here we go again…..off to mow a meadow (or six). Mike, Luke & Will’s bums have hardly left the tractor/loadall seats for 12 hours and they are walking like cowboys and looking dazed as they step foot on terra firma once more. The hay quality is superb this year, wonderful and palatable.

We all love the empty fields that can now be used to ride horses on (for a limited time in case of second cut) and Rufus, who is now as tall as me, has been promised driving lessons. Yes I know he is only 12 but it’s compensation for never having holidays and being made to work! (Please refer complaints to Child Line but spell my Danish name correctly). We will use Mike’s car, not mine…..is that bad?

We have another new foal on the farm at Armstrong Equine, an absolute poppet with a spotty botty. A filly called Dreamer.

Pond in Winter. Looks like a recently dredged canal.

We are all stunned at how quickly the pond, that was enlarged and dug out over last winter, is now rejuvenating. It is teaming with wildlife and the plants have grown really well but still lots to do.

The pond now!

We have finally got a barrier underway to avoid accidents. We have seen tadpoles/frogs, ducks, dragonflies and a kingfisher. The dead tree is now felled, it was in danger of falling. We also lost part of a lovely oak tree. I have donated a chunk to our local wood turner. He brought up a wonderful bowl and salt mill in advance of having the wood….. now I feel under pressure and guilty every time I see him dog walking on the farm drive, I can sense myself looking shifty. If the sap settles it will make ‘wonky’ bowls so I MUST get the chain saw out.

If anybody out there wants some beautiful turned wooden works of art (not wonky!) contact Keith Fenton and tell him the ‘shifty character’ recommended.

Just to prove that we have the nicest people staying in our cottage one chap saw the garage door was broken and fixed it. Can you believe it; he fixed the door while on holiday?

Now from what I recall of these things called ‘holidays’ one is supposed to relax and have fun. I am so grateful. What lovely people. He mends guitars for a living and was obviously one of those blokes who are a real ‘Mr Fixit’, the sort that means women are jealous of his wife.

I can honestly say that everybody staying at the cottage has been brilliant and many have put great ideas in the suggestions book. By listening to guests we hope to continually improve.

We don't need a "Summer Meadow" fabric conditioner. Nature provides. Our holiday cottage linen is always fresh, clean and crispy 100% cotton.

The holiday cottage was used as a music studio for one week. Talking of music, at the time of writing this we have half an empty calf shed because of Glastonbury Rock Festival. Our calves are coming from the farm next door to Glasto and there is some sort of issue with access. Michael Eavis is a legend, not only for Glastonbury but he has one of the top performing dairy herds in the UK. Don’t think he was too popular with neighbours in the early days either. Diversification is part and parcel of many farms these days. Some of us have a livery yard, and others super cool rock festivals.

We have had a wonderful work experience lad, Will Smith join us this week. He has been fantastic, what a worker! We have not put him off farming….yet. I am sure he will have a great future; he is a much better tractor driver than me (not difficult!) I was worried about the legal hours working and ‘tried’ to send him home but he refused until the job was completed. Will has done lots of tasks; least keen was the castration of bull calves. The conversation went:

Will “Do you really need me or shall I carry with this job?” (Loading wood)
Me: “Yes Will, we really need you”.
Will: “Lots to do here still”
Me: ”It’s the very pretty young vet”.
Will “OK then”

Note here: The vet is very pretty but did a darned professional job and took the time to explain procedure to Will who is learning. I love it when experienced people take time to explain to students.

Luke our apprentice has passed his tractor test. Brilliant, well done Luke! Now I can avoid ‘Stenders’ with tractor/trailer loaded with big bales. Stenders is a hill near Mitcheldean, the best way I can describe it is a ‘ski black run’ with traffic coming the other way. It kept me awake at night in the countdown to bale hauling, on the dreaded day I would wake up in a cold sweat knowing the hour had arrived. I would hold my breath all the way down the hill and feel a massive sense of relief when the co-op came into view (as blue as my face with breath holding) and I knew the worst was over. As you will gather, this is not my favourite pass time. Mike who drove tractors all his life simply has no concept of my fear. The flatness of Lincolnshire farming suddenly seems appealing.

All this haymaking has left us no time for life’s everyday stuff such as haircuts. Mike is looking like a ‘farmer disguised as an endangered species’. To bed up the yard could just sit in the middle, have a quick trim and ‘job done’…..one bedded up cattle yard and big straw saving. One of our livery girls is now an Avon Lady which is dead handy, I will need something to conceal the black bags under my eyes by the end of harvest (and reduce the blue colour if driving down Stenders). Good Luck Izzi with that and the new nail venture.

We are so looking forward to some old friends coming back to the yard. When people come back it is reassuring that we are at least getting something right. That’s not to say that we don’t have plans for improvements.

We broke the record for number of people in our little kitchen last week, I brought out every spare chair and then thought I would have to sit on Mike’s lap (he found another chair…..strange that!). I was quite worried about the rickety floor boards holding up with the combined weight. It would be a disaster if our lovely 1980’s (falling apart) kitchen crashed through into the foundations. In true farming style every penny goes into the business so fencing/cattle equipment/tractor repairs come before a new kitchen. One day there will be a peasant’s revolt that will make the Tollpuddle martyrs look lightweight, my only demand…a new kitchen. Watch this space.

If you want to see some short video clips of us farming just go to Longhope Livery or Fiona Caspersen Facebook page/s.

If you can spot a weed in this picture (in grass) you can have a free (conventional) bale of hay.