Biomass video from the farm

Check out the video

Late Autumn Sunshine

Spent a day this week on a farm in the Cotswolds - great to enjoy some late Autumn sun

Boilers

Wood chip heaters

Woodchip - a new fuel for the farm

Planting

As I have driven around this week lots of farmers are starting their planting and in some areas the seeds are germinating in the fields. The rain today has been welcome and we too are turning our thoughts to planting our winter wheat. It is probably to late for the oil seed rape so that will have to wait until spring.

Harvesting finished

All the harvesting is completed. We were really lucky that the weather turned when it did and we had a could of really good weeks of weather. Now to think about planting

Harvesting

The combines are here but the yield of wheat is very disappointing, but looking forward to when it is all safely gathered in.

Comma on the farm

St John's Wort

Beans growing on the farm

Buckwheat growing on the farm

We are growing some buckwheat - the bees love it

Mustard for the birds

We are growing food for the birds this winter - we were also thrilled to be highly commended in the RSPB awards this year

Waterfowl

Floral margins on the cliffs in Cornwall

Flowers clinging to edge

Preparing for history talk

Suckley History Society came for a talk on the history connected to the farm

Beautiful tree

This tree caught my eye on my travels

New Education Centre at Loddington

New Education Centre at Loddington - great design - straw walls, wool insulation in the roof, PV for electricity, rainwater harvesting for flushing toilets, living car park with drainage to reduce run-off - underfloor heating ...

Field corner mix at Loddington

Yesterday I was at the Allerton Project in Loddington talking about diffuse water pollution - enjoyed all the other speakers too - great day on Integrated Farm Management

Perry pears planted

Open Farm Sunday

Good memories of when we did Open Farm Sunday a few years ago

Flooding in Herefordshire

Flash floods !

May podcast

Water flowing

After the drought and all the ponds dried up good to see the water flowing again

A bit blowy

A really blowy day, but the rain has made the spring crops really start to grow.

Cowslips

Cowslips in Castle Frome with the morning dew.

Springs promise

Sheep in Somerset

Sheep enjoying the spring sunshine in Somerset - whilst they grazed it was a five hour round trip for me to drive to Somerset and back - they seemed more relaxed !

Top wires in place on the wirework for the vines

We have been busy putting the top wire in place on the vines ready for them to start growing over the next few weeks.

Harnhill - awaiting spring

The Royal Agricultural College farm at Harnhill

Woodland awakes

Been quiet for a while but Spring is coming...

Snow drops

Spring is on the way 

Waiting for rain

Still waiting for some rain .....

Snow again

Well it is all snow everywhere - hopefully it will soon be gone.

Elan Dam on a wet day

Hedge laying

Great photo of hedge restoration when I was out and about

Start of spring??

December podcast 2011

2012

Well its a new year and we went for a walk yesterday around the farm - it is sleeping but will soon be ready for the new season. The sunrises have been spectacular over the Malverns this last week. We have our first visitors of the year this weekend for a farm walk so we have gone full cycle. There hasn't been much to report in the December podcast about the farm so I will just review the best of 2012.