It will be no surprise we are sure, if we start with the weather, and the amount of rain that we have had over these last weeks. Thankfully, we are all agreed that the water table here isn’t overflowing. When that happens, we have streams appear in certain places in the garden! However, we certainly do have a full water table. Which, we know, is nothing to complain about. Except… when you are working on the land, and the land is heavy, heavy clay. At times, it feels that the farm is like one huge 200-acre puddle! 

The field alongside the drive has very large puddles which aren’t draining away. This field is a good example of ridge and furrow, the remains of medieval ploughing when very large fields owned by the local lord of the manor were farmed in strips. It isn’t good for the grass or trees to have their roots in water for too long. The puddles must be caused by a blocked or broken drain. So it is looking like the drive and part of the field will have to be dug up and new drains put in. Another expensive sounding job which we will put off thinking about for a little while longer! 

For the cows this has meant moving to the barn and winter quarters. The poaching of the pasture around the water troughs in the fields was getting too great, the fear always that the grass won’t be able to recover. It isn’t so cold that we are already in the winter-feeding rhythm yet. 

The breech calf we shared news of last time is making good progress, and mother and calf are bonded. Two heifers have been moved to the Suckler Herd. Our efforts to find a Bull are progressing, and hopefully DEFRA will be supportive and give us a derogation to bring a new Bull onto the farm. If they don’t, we have to wait for a further clear TB test, which can’t be done before January. In that time, we will have lost the potential for new calves. Challenging times. 

An event with CAF bank, who are backing the Stockwood Community project, yesterday gave Milly and Dot chance to show their skills, and thankfully, the lambs played their part well too! With several Business Park tenants alongside, warm mulled Rush Farm Apple Juice and ginger biscuits, a lovely, impromptu party was had beside the firepit while the sheep and dogs did the hard work. 

There has been lots of wildlife seen out on the farm – from Tree Creepers, Hares and Sky Larks, and rather surprisingly a dead Adder. It seems the soft ground is helping the birdlife as we have seen all sorts from Herons to crows and gulls, finding plenty in the soil to eat. It helps to have young legs back on the farm energy enough to walk the fields frequently to observe the changing season. Sloes and apples have been harvested, and field mushrooms are being picked and eaten from Field 11. Thank goodness for Brendan’s foraging course! 

From the garden the apples, squashes and pumpkins have been harvested and are now being stored for eating through the winter. It’s great to have the apple racks full once more. Ahead of the Supper Club, the harvesting of winter greens, chard and beets are all looking very good.  

We seem fortunate to enjoy streaks of light at dawn and dusk, and more often than not, rather grey, oppressive days in between, and with the gusts that have come and gone taking down the leaves, hedgerows are now much starker, views appearing that disappeared in spring remerging. Winter is on its way! 

At Day-Close in November Thomas Hardy 

The ten hours’ light is abating,
And a late bird flies across,
Where the pines, like waltzers waiting,
Give their black heads a toss. 

Beech leaves, that yellow the noon-time,
Float past like specks in the eye;
I set every tree in my June time,
And now they obscure the sky. 

And the children who ramble through here
Conceive that there never has been
A time when no tall trees grew here,

A time when none will be seen.