Friday, March 29, 2024
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Village Farmer’s Diary

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Mark Elliott

. . . with Mark Elliott of Groveley Farm, Hopwood.

I should have penned the summer diary in April and the spring diary in July if the weather is anything to go by.

Farming is a totally weather-dependent occupation, so a washout summer is pretty disheartening both psychologically and financially.

However, we have been fortunate in having rescued our winter feed stocks before the rains and we are waiting for maybe just a few days of sun to ripen the barley, which looks in first-class order, especially if the crows and pigeons decide to leave a little bit for us.

Birdlife has thrived with the early warm spring, combined with the damp humid summer. We have numerous swallows’ nests in the barn eaves and several goldfinches have appeared this year.

We have also just had our annual visit from the green woodpecker; this comical-looking fellow comes to the same place on our barn every year for just a couple of days.

Some of the cows are now enjoying their annual two months’ rest, having finished milking for the year.

Sadly our one red cow, Brownie, has stopped producing now and is approaching the end of her days, being the oldest cow in the herd.

She will be especially missed by our children and all those who come to visit, so we need a replacement quick – anyone got any brown paint?

Grovewood Farm Dairy delivers milk direct to homes in this area.
Tel: 0121 445 6670