July update from the farm

It’s the 1st of July, and what a start to summer we've had! We've been lucky enough to enjoy some fantastic weather, and the fields have certainly appreciated it. The grass is growing well, which means haymaking season is just around the corner. We were a little late fertilising the fields this year, so we missed the last spell of sunshine for making hay. In some ways, though, that may have been a blessing. Making hay is hard work at the best of times, and tackling it in temperatures of 25°C is enough of a challenge. I can only imagine how tough it would have been during last week's heatwave! Unlike many farms, we still make some traditional small-bale hay. These bales are perfect for feeding our sheep through the winter, but they do come with a lot of hard work. Every bale has to be loaded onto the trailer by hand, unloaded by hand, and then carefully stacked away. It's certainly a very physical job, but one we're proud to continue. Our sheep are also running a little behind schedule this year when it comes to shearing, largely due to shearer availability. We are keeping everything crossed that it finally happens this week. Although Helen makes good use of the wool we produce, shearing is first and foremost about animal welfare. At the moment we're keeping a particularly close eye on the flock due to the risk of fly strike. This happens when flies lay eggs in the sheep's wool, and once the maggots hatch, they begin feeding on the sheep. It's a distressing and painful condition that can quickly become serious if left untreated. Normally, we use a preventative treatment, but because of the upcoming shearing, we're unable to apply it at the moment. Instead, we're carrying out daily checks to spot any signs as early as possible. Thankfully, if caught quickly, it can usually be treated effectively—although it does mean we currently have a few sheep sporting some rather unusual hairstyles! Yesterday, our latest lamb, hogget and mutton boxes were dispatched, and we've already started receiving delivery notifications. There's always a sense of relief when we know they've arrived safely with our customers. We can now take reservations for Novembers orders. We're also still taking reservations for our beef boxes, available in either 10kg or 15kg selections. Each box contains a minimum of three roasting joints, along with mince, diced beef, burgers, and a selection of sirloin or rump steaks. To everyone who has already reserved a box—thank you so much for your support. As soon as we have sufficient orders, we'll be in touch with further details.