Poultry Discussion

Tuesday, 30 October 2007

Amtrak travel

I have had great fun travelling on Amtrak trains whilst I have been in California. Very convenient and double decker trains too so great to see the farming that is going on so studying whilst I am travelling much more so than if I was driving.

California Beaches

I had a great trip on Sunday around the farming of North California, Napa Valley - wine, Marin country - dairy farming, beef as well as passing almond groves and fields with peppers being harvested. I ended up on Dillon Beach, a small secluded beach with a small community living nearby. I had to paddle in the Pacific before I went home!

Sunday, 28 October 2007

More rainbow vegetables

Rainbow vegetables

I went to the Farmer's Market in Davis, California yesterday. A truly vibrant place to be in more ways than one. The market was full of local foods, fruit, vegetables, but I had to ask if the stall holders minded me taking a photograph because the carrots and potatoes were amazing colours too. There was a scarecrow competition, information on slow food, school project information and almost a carnival atmosphere. Temperatures in the mid 70s fahrenheit help i'm sure.

Saturday, 27 October 2007

Travel Companion

Whilst walking on the University Campus I was joined by a travel companion who had the most distinctive call - almost sounding like a jay - but blue! Stayed with me for a while along the way!

Nuffield Scholarship in California

Well, I have just spent my first week in California and in five days I have met seventeen people to discuss water associated issues both in Sacramento and the University of California at Davis. A very busy week with a wealth of notes to write up! What have I learnt ? Well, that the issues in Utah and California aren't really very different to the UK, rising urban population that needs houses and space; farmers producing food in an environment of growing concern on how efficiently resources are used, the impact of farming on the environment and questions on the potential results of climate change and how that might affect farming practice and urban life into the future. What are the solutions to our problems? Well I will have to think on that a bit longer.

Along the way on my US quest I have spotted in Davis, CA some London route master buses amidst the palm trees!

Saturday, 20 October 2007

Mountain stream at Sundance, Utah

Beautiful, place especially as the leaves are changing colour

Hill Farm, Castle Frome, Herefordshire

Hill Farm is about 300 acres in size - an acre is about the area of a football pitch. This year we are growing feed wheat; winter beans, spring beans and oats. We also have 50 acres of woodland.

The wheat was planted in the autumn and will be harvested in August. We will feed the wheat to our chickens and sell some of the straw to other farmers who will probably use it for bedding for their livestock. We will bale some up for ourselves and chop the rest and incorporate (put it back) into the soil to improve soil structure. Beans were planted in the spring along with spring oats.

The woodland areas are traditional mixed woodland with conifers and areas of deciduous trees. There is a myriad of wildlife on the farm - mammals, birds, insects ... we will tell their story in this blog. They live in the woodland, fields, lakes, and streams. We hope that you will enjoy the story of our farm.