BY JIM WEBSTER Whatever humanity is up to, the seasons continue to roll forward. The contractor arrived to put on the nitrogen. He made far less mark than I thought he would, the last few days have dried out our higher land nicely. Sal supervised him from a safe distance. Mind you that is as close as I got to him because the foot-trimmer was … Continue reading Splendid Isolation
BY JIM WEBSTER The other day I took the car in to get an MOT and service. As I walked home two women passed me walking in the opposite direction. One said to the other, “he were having a fag behind the recycling bins.” Such is the joy of the English language that this probably means something entirely different depending on what part of the … Continue reading Linguistic Good Taste
BY JIM WEBSTER Have you ever wondered whether you were breaking the law or not? This morning I was quietly minding my own business, walking round the farm checking to see that various batches of sheep were OK. Of course I had Sal with me because even when there’s no formal work to be done, she can still be useful. She’ll find the ones who’re … Continue reading Accidental Fox Hunting
BY JIM WEBSTER A lot of years ago, when I was probably about seven or eight, I was with my grandfather, father and others when they were “leading” hay. The trailer was loaded, and a small Fergie 135 pulled it out of the gate and into the lane. Now the gateway itself slopes steeply because the lane is about four feet lower than the field, … Continue reading Milking It
BY JIM WEBSTER They always say that timing is the secret of good comedy, and frankly it’s the secret of success in agriculture as well. I knew two chaps who retired after a lifetime in dairy farming. For a tenant, selling your dairy herd basically pays for the house you have to buy. The two men were much of an age; their herds were pretty … Continue reading Brexit For Farmers
BY JIM WEBSTER Building communities. That’s what the meeting was about, although that wasn’t the title, that’s what it did and that was what drove people to attend. And I drove up from the south, through St John’s in the Vale on a gorgeous September morning; the sort that you never get many of. Today the two crags at the sides were bathed in bright … Continue reading A Cumbrian Farmer Writes
BY JIM WEBSTER Over the years, I’ve avoided equine entanglements. I used to boast that I’d eaten horse more recently than I’d ridden one, but now, thanks to Tesco, pretty well everyone can say that. Still, I’ve avoided going into the whole “livery yard” diversification thing. Not through innate conservatism or immense wisdom but basically because I’d heard too many stories. One lass I knew … Continue reading A Cumbrian Farmer Writes
BY JIM WEBSTER Sheep aren’t the most stupid of God’s creatures; they’re not even the most stupid mammal. Indeed, horses could well have been created to allow sheep to feel that smug glow of intellectual superiority that everyone needs from time to time. Not that this is high praise. There are single celled creatures floating in seas of freezing ammonia, illuminated by the dying suns … Continue reading A Cumbrian Farmer Writes
