“frustration” (that’s a polite term for f…… absolutely furious) about the changes brought about in the budget. The frustration has been channeled into marches – the one on the 19th November seemed to go well and get a lot of coverage and a tractor ralley through London yesterday also went ahead (I got videos from a friend who worked on the route!). But as yet, no change to any policy.
In addition, in the last couple of weeks, the government has put a “pause” on all capital grants applications. Prior to this, farmers could apply for grants to plant, lay and coppice hedges, put down tracks to reduce pollution as well as help towards fencing. It is how we were able to fund the new hedge on the track between Foxton and Fowlmere and lay the hedge to the right. Hopefully the money will come back but it is stopping a lot of hedge management going ahead this winter. More than this though, it shows a worrying lack of commitment from the government in funding environmental measures and farmers are losing trust.
On the growing front though, all is going well and stuff is sitting pretty over the winter. The sugarbeet will come out at some point but probably not until the new year. Some sugarbeet has come out of some land that Tom farms for someone else and he and Peter are busy planting Spring Barley over there today. We don’t normally drill anything in December so I am a bit confused by this and why its spring barley when it is clearly winter but sometimes you have to pick your questions/battles. Hopefully it will all be done in time for Christmas.
We have also started “supplementary feeding” farmland birds. We are entering the “hungry gap” for wildlife at this time of year (December – April) when there is not a lot to eat on the ground, hedges or trees. To help with this we spread seeds for the birds to eat instead. To support healthy populations of birds it is important to provide habitat (which we do through habitat areas, hedges etc. on the farm) and year-round feed. In the Spring, Summer and Autumn much of this is provided by the margins and hedges. We also have a special mix that goes in called “winter bird food” which is selected for plants that provides seeds in the first part of winter, but a bit extra never does any harm!
Weather is fine for farming, but a bit of sunshine wouldn’t go amiss for all other things!