In the last couple of weeks Will, Kenny and young Will have been super busy repairing fences, hanging gates and erecting new fence lines. All in readiness for the last of our cattle to to head outdoors to graze until late autumn.

As we use rotational mob grazing practices we have been splitting our larger fields up with new fence lines. This makes it much easier for us to divide the fields up into small paddocks with electric fence which we move on a daily basis. The idea being that mob grazing is all about emulating nature, think back to the thousands of bison and wildebeest travelling over vast areas, staying in a tightly knit group for safety. They would eat the fresh grass in that patch, dung, urinate and trample the grass then move on to the next area. They then wouldn’t return to graze that patch again for months even years. Back on the farm we can mimick this by grazing the cattle in a small area for a short duration then resting that section before grazing again.

The end of the winter yard work is finally in sight! Our grass fields and herbal leys are looking luscious. Seemingly growing in front of our eyes from morning to evening after the drenching of rain and now that the soil has warmed up.

We have also taken on ‘Young Will’ as a Saturday apprentice, he is a brilliant local lad who has completed an apprenticeship. It is great to be able to help a keen youngster into agriculture. He has been enjoying helping out with the cattle and is very much looking forward to the poultry arriving.

On that note I can’t believe that the goslings are due to arrive next week!