MyFarm: Our best bits

As MyFarm finally draws to a close we wanted to remember the good times and all that we’ve achieved, together.

So here’s our MyFarm highlights (and out-takes!) reel.  Enjoy:

Goodbye MyFarm

Farmer Morris signs off from the MyFarm Project.  After more than 18 months of sharing food, farming and the everyday life of a real, working farm MyFarm comes to an end:

MyFarmers: How did you do?

One morning recently, Farmer Morris and I sat down and went through every single voting decision that you MyFarmers have made since the launch of the project back in May 2011.

The intention was to reflect on those decisions; what the results were; how Farmer Morris might have done things differently (were it solely down to him) etc.

What we did find was that you, collectively, have achieved an awful lot in a shade over 18 months so well done!  We also found some interesting results which, in typical MyFarm style, we want to share with you in as colourful and palatable a way as possible.

The table below shows the 15 votes MyFarmers decided upon; whether the result was a success or a failure; What Would Farmer Morris Do? (WWFMD) if it had been down to him; some notes; and a ‘Cow Rank’ to give each decision a mark out of five (1 being ‘udderly rubbish’ whereas 5 is ‘cream of the crop!’):

Vote	Success/ Failure	WWFMD?	Notes	Cow Rank
#1 Sow or No? MyFarmers voted to grow clover to help boost the fertility in Chalk Pits	Success	Would have done the same	Fertility was greatly boosted in Chalk Pits field helping boost the wheat yield in what was otherwise a difficult year
#2 Sow what? MyFarmers opted to sow wheat over barley or oats	Success	Would have done the same	Another good call.  MyFarm’s wheat yeilds bucked the downwards national trend bringing in much needed revenue
#3 Rare breed or commercial? MyFarmers choose rare breed sheep over a more commercial breed	Success	Would have chosen commercial	Score one for the MyFarmers!  The rare breeds we ended up getting in (see next vote) have thrived providing quality meat, wool and enhancing visitor’s experience on the farm.
#4 Which breed to breed? MyFarmers plumped for Oxford Downs over Hill Randors or Norfolks	Success	Favoured Norfolks and Oxfords	The Oxford Downs have done so well at MyFarm that Stockman Mark has brought in more… the ultimate accolade!
#5 Which wheat? MyFarmers chose Magister wheat over Panorama	Failure	Would have done the same	MyFarmers gambled but it didn’t come off.  Magister struggled in 2011/12 whereas Panorama planted did well.  Weather and luck were against it — but Farmer Morris would have done the same.
#6 Sow how? MyFarmers chose 220kg per hectare over 180kg	Success	Would have done the same	Though the Magister struggled the higher sowing rate helped boost a yield that may otherwise have crashed.
#7 Which sausage? MyFarmers chose a ‘Cambridge’ recipe over others	Failure	Would have done the same	Despite numerous attempts we couldn’t find a blend that enough people liked (that also held together!) to make it a commercial possibility.
#8 Life on the hedge? MyFarmers opted for Wildlife hedges over bio-fuel or stock	Success	Would have done the same	The wildlife hedges have fitted in perfectly as part of the Estate’s HLS application (see vote #10) and bird numbers have increased.
#9 How wood you? MyFarmers chose to lay a hedge rather than mow or coppice it	Success	Would have done the same	The laid hedge fits perfectly with the look, feel and heritage of the estate.  Bird numbers in the South Avenue are up and wood cut off is being dried for fuel.
#10 More or less ELS? MyFarmers chose ELS ‘as is’ over ‘less’ or ‘more’ for Cambridge Road Farm (CRF)	Success	Wanted to do more ELS and ended up that way too!	As part of the wider Estate CRF is now part of an HLS application (an even higher level of environmental stewardship).  Without the ELS foundations this wouldn’t have been possible.
#11 Moo who? MyFarmers chose an Irish Moiled bull over a Gloucester or Shetland	Success	Would have done the same	The bull we were able to bring in has worked really well and is helping further Stockman Mark’s work with the rare Irish Moiled breed.
#12 Castrate or segregate? MyFarmers voted to segregate and not castrate this year’s lambs	Success	Would have done the same	Some ram lambs, who are entire thanks to the vote, are now ready to sell on.  As yet the ram lamb meat has not been tested to see if it has affected the flavour.
#13 Fallow, Feed or Fertility? MyFarmers chose to boost the fertility in Front Meadow at CRF	Success	Would have done the same	The field was in a sorry state but thanks to the fertility work to following wheat crop has done very well.
#14 Should we grow oilseed rape? MyFarmers voted ‘yes’	Success	Would have done the same	Sadly the crop failed due to adverse weather conditions.  It was a good decision but poor luck.
#15 Dairy to be Different? MyFarmers chose the make-up of a planned dairy herd	???	Would have preferred more Ayrshires	Plans for the dairy herd are still that — plans, so hard to judge the success or failure of this one yet!	???

All in all it’s fair to say you did rather well!  Most decisions you made turned out well and in most instances, where they did not it was down to poor luck or weather (or both!).  Furthermore, even on those decisions that didn’t turn out as well as hoped Farmer Morris would have done the same thing himself.

Of course we’ll never know how well the alternatives may have worked:  Would Randor sheep have thrived here?  Would a Shetland bull have fitted in so smoothly to the herd?  There’s just no way of knowing.   And with the last vote, on the dairy herd, only time will tell!

But to have got so many big decisions so right — you can all give yourselves a well-earned pat on the back!

Pig football!

We certainly had a lot of fun during MyFarm — we hope you did too.  Here’s something we’ve been keeping under our hats that we hope you’ll enjoy.

Some months ago the farm staff decided to introduce a feed ball to the pigs’.  It was one of a number of things we tried to keep the pigs mentally stimulated as part of our commitment to Freedom Foods animal welfare standards.  Keeping them entertained not only makes them use their brains but it also helps stop them from bullying or biting one another.

As with many things MyFarm it’s a fun way to show the amount of work and thought that goes into the welfare of all our animals.

What is crop rotation?

Even though MyFarm’s coming to a close we still have lots we want to share with you about farming and how it works.

Some weeks ago back (you can tell how long by Farmer Andrew’s sunglasses!) we spoke to our soil expert (and Farm Guide!) Ian ‘The Soil’ Bradley.  He helped explain crop rotation, why farmers do it and why it’s important:

#LoveMyFarm Wall

With MyFarm drawing to a close we’ve been collating lots of the comments you MyFarmers have made (both positive and negative).  One of the ideas we had was to build a virtual ‘Love MyFarm’ wall, where we could share all the positive messages we’ve had.

So we built one

It’s a little garish but we love it.  We’ve loved sharing the farm with you and, it seems, lots of you have enjoyed it too.

Today is my penultimate day working on MyFarm.  I want to sign off with a simple thank you.  The passion, enthusiasm, kindness and interest you’ve all shown me and the project were on of the things I loved most about this job.  I shall miss it — and you.

Goodbye Gerty

There’s rather a ‘circle of life’ feeling around the farm at the moment — and not just in relation to our Wellywood win!

The nights are drawing in, the clocks have gone back, winter is coming and the farm is moving through the seasonal work too — like the Tup ahead of the next lambing season etc.

Gerty, our milking demonstration cow

Fresh from the announcing the results of our ‘Dairy to be Different?’ vote where you chose the make-up of our planned dairy herd, we’ve some news regarding Gerty our incumbent milking demonstration cow.

You may remember, back in July, Gerty spent some ‘quality time’ with Juggernaut our Long Horn bull with the expectation she’d be in calf (pregnant) shortly afterwards.  Juggernaut’s a ‘proven’ bull (he’s definitely fertile and produces good calves) so Farmer Morris and Stockman Mark were confident Gerty would be a calving and therefore milking again for next season.

Recently a vet came out to the farm to check on Gerty.  As a Father of three myself it was strikingly similar to the baby scans I attended as an excited Dad-to-be.  The ‘patient’ was obviously rather different (best get that in for Mrs. Farmer Andrew!) but the scanning machine and screen — with grainy two-tone colour image — was very familiar.

Primrose, back when she was a newborn calf

 

The sad news was Gerty is not pregnant.

As a result Gerty won’t be ‘put to the bull’ again.  She is rather mature, in cow years, and put bluntly if she’s not getting pregnant, producing calves and milk she’s not doing her job.  Farms cannot afford to carry passengers.  Every animal (just as with every member of staff) has to contribute.  If not, they have to go.

It probably won’t be until the New Year but Gerty’s card is marked.  It’s another reminder of the serious, business side of farming.  Even for animals the staff are attached to (those that have had the pleasure enjoyed working with Gerty) there can be no exceptions.  Gerty’s had a long, healthy, happy life at MyFarm and her legacy will live on.  Her most recent calf, Primrose who was born last winter, may well be producing calves and milk herself in the next few years.

I suspect even the most ‘battle hardened’ of the farm staff will have a little lump in their throat when Gerty has to go though.

Oilseed rape whacked by the weather

Hello MyFarmers.  It’s been a long while since my last blog so more than overdue that I write another for you.

It’s been so busy on the farm with the grain stores, harvest prep, the harvest itself and then working double time to get everything ready for the next crop.  For those of you that don’t follow us on Facebook you may have missed additional things which have compounded our problems — like Abi breaking her wrist!

Don’t worry, she’s fine — back driving tractors again already in fact — but it’s symbolic of the luck we’ve been having.  On that note I have some bad news to report on the oilseed rape you voted for.  It’s really struggling I’m afraid.

As soon as the wheat in those fields (up on Valley Farm, part of Cambridge Road Farm) was harvested we were up there planting the rape seed.  This was almost as soon as the seed had arrived.  We got the contractor in and drilled the seed on 1st September — which was bang on schedule.

Then came more bad luck.  In the following few days there was the ‘perfect storm’ of weather to stymie our crop.  It rained, a little.  Not a problem in itself, plants need water and rain softens the soil which can help seeds bed in ready to germinate.

A tractor drilling oilseed rape seeds

But then we had that ‘late summer’ spell of a few continuous days of hot, dry weather.  That baked the soil into a hard ‘cap’ over the seeds so, when they germinated, they couldn’t break through to the surface.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the previous wet weather had encouraged a bumper crop of slugs who now had a super highway of lovely fresh, green shoots just below the surface to run all along and nibble off.  I bet they couldn’t believe their luck.  Nor could I.

I had our agronomist in and we thought of every which way we could try and save the crop but there was literally nothing we could do.

We’ve been over a dosed the field with slug pellets (thank goodness it’s on the conventional farm and not the organic, as otherwise even that wouldn’t have been available to us) so most of the slugs are gone.  Now it’s just a waiting game to see if enough of the crop survives to make it viable.

If it doesn’t we’ll have to turn the soil over and start again with a spring planted crop.  There are still options there — even some spring varieties of oilseed rape we could plant but I don’t think any of them are suitable for table oil, sadly.  I’ll have to cross that bridge when it comes to it.

I’ll be really sad, if it happens, to have lost a crop.  I suppose I’m lucky in some ways, as this has never happened to me before but it’s not an experience I’ve enjoyed.  It’s just so frustrating.

Down the road another farmer planted his oilseed rape about 24 hours before ours and it’s steaming along.  That extra day gave the plants just enough time and strength to break through the surface.  It makes me feel a bit sick when I drive past his fields of flourishing rape but these are the margins we deal with.  A day really does make a difference.

Seeds of doubt

Wheat and charlock in Pond Field

Aside from that I’ve been spending a lot of time chasing seed lately.  You may have heard in the news about the problems with wheat crops, not just here in the UK but across the world.

Not only does this affect food prices but it also makes it harder to find healthy new seed.  I’ve been ringing around lots of suppliers who are all short on stock.  Not only is the global yield down but a lot of what is left is affected by disease.

I’m pleased to report that, whilst our yield is down slightly the quality is up so we’ve bucked the trend.

I’ve already sold some of the rest of our wheat and I’ll be sure to report back once all of it, including your Pond Field wheat, is sold.

Meanwhile, I’m glad to see lots of familiar names/faces enjoying the Dairy to be Different vote.  I grew up with dairy cattle so it’s something I’m looking forward to getting into again.  The shortlist of breeds Mark and I lined up for you was a good one — so it was interesting to see which breeds you MyFarmers favour!

Vote: Dairy to be Different — Result

The ballots have all been counted in the last ever MyFarm vote Dairy to be Different.

As ever, right to the last, you MyFarmers have surprised us, entertained us and left us scratching our heads in equal measure!

As the graphic above shows it was an incredibly close vote.  Red Polls shaded it, narrowly ahead of Gloucesters.  Shorthorns were 3rd, Friesians 4th and Ayrshires were surprisingly (to us at least) unpopular and finished 5th.

The reaction on the farm is very mixed.  Surprised (about the Ayrshires), pleased (about the very local Red Polls winning) and then surprised again that Gloucesters (some of which we already have on the farm) have done so well.

You’ve also left us a nice conundrum.  Going strictly on the voting figures (289 votes for those that asked) Farmer Morris should buy (for a herd of ten): 2.9 Red Polls, 2.8 Gloucesters, 2.2 Shorthorns, 1.6 Friesians and 0.6 Ayrshires.

Obviously one cannot buy 0.6 of a cow… or if you can it won’t be in a condition for milking!  But rounding the figures leaves us with 11 cows, not ten.  If the herd was to be 15-strong, rounding the figures would give us: 4 Red Polls, 4 Gloucesters, 3 Shorthorns, 2 Friesians and 1 Ayrshire… which is only 14 cows!

What we’re going to do from here is see which animals we can get hold of.  The good thing is we’re in no rush.  The micro-dairy isn’t planned until the middle of 2013 at the earliest so plenty of time for Farmer Morris (and our ace genealogist Wendy) to shop around.  As ever they will get the best deal on the most suitable animals for the farm — and do their darndest to stick to your vote results.

However, short of buying half-cows there may have to be some practical ’rounding’ done by Farmer Morris.

Thank you to everyone that voted and to all those of you that asked (as always) such interesting, engaging and fascinating questions.  It is with a little lump in my throat that I close the last ever MyFarm vote.

———————

Here’s a few voting stats for you:

After the first 50 votes:

Friesians led the way.

After the first 100 votes:

Red Polls had the most votes.

After the first 200 votes:

Gloucesters had a resurgence!

It was very close throughout — although not many of you voted for Ayrshires, which surprised us quite a bit.  Perhaps it’s a Scottish independence backlash!

Vote: Our advocates

UPDATE: We’ve now included ‘advocate’ statements from each of the breeds involved in our vote.

With the Dairy to be Different vote already underway no doubt many of you are wracking your brains trying to decide where to place your vote.  As always we’re here to help.

Our advocates have all come from the respective breed societies for each of our short-list — a big ‘thank you’ to them for their help.

Each of the advocates are eager to share why they think that breed is so special.  We’ve tried to keep them quite uniform (so as not to exert undue influence) but some had more to share than others.  Here’s the full list for you:

Ayrshire advocate

British Friesian advocate

Gloucester advocate

Red Poll advocate & Red Poll breed information

Shorthorn Advocate

Remember, the vote doesn’t close until 10am Wednesday 17th October so you’ve still a short while left to cogitate on your decision… like a cow chewing the cud!

Play your cards right?

For those of you still struggling to compare the breeds side-by-side again, we’re here to help.  In a flashback to our (misspent) youth we’ve crafted some comparison cards for each breed so you can examine some of the key facts about each breed against the others.

Note the figures used are commonly available averages for the breed and figures for temperament/rarity etc. are subjective.  They’re meant to help MyFarmers to compare breeds, rather than hard-and-fast facts on them (plus they’re quite fun!):

Click on a card to enlarge it: