Spreading slurry end of February after some very dry weather.
So where have we got to now? If the media last year was to be believed, January and February would be a complete disaster area and we all entered the new year with some trepidation. From our point of view January was down 10% , however February has fought back and was 5% up. The fact is, that 10% down in January is neither here nor there, because it is always light weight. February is the more important month as the market settles after Christmas. So what is going on? One can only assume that things are not as bad as was predicted, the economy, despite various ongoing issues, is stabilising. If village shops are anything to go by, they are having a wonderful time selling tomatoes and cucumbers, contrary to the message being put out by Supermarkets, who tell us Spain and Morocco have run out. As I delivered the cheese on Friday to farm shops and villages shops, around Hampshire, there were tomatoes everywhere, so you know where to do your shopping this week, and continue to support these independents when the snow melts in Morocco.As we all progress to net Zero, however haphazard it might be, we are continuing to invest in new equipment to to make the whole operation of milking cows more efficient. As described in the Octobers report, we have installed a new slurry separator. This gives us a big heap of dryish stackable dung, that has been stacked in the fields during the winter, and will be spread next month on the pumpkin and maize ground. The liquid element, stored separately, has been spread, see picture, during the incredibly dry February, on the grass land, both for grazing and cutting. The liquid tank is now completely empty, and as a result we have been able to cut back on our Ammonium Nitrate applications, saving money, resources, and a far more effective and efficient way of using the manure that the cows produce.
