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!
MyFarmerAndrew
MyFarmerMorris
MyFarmerRob
MyFarmTeam
MyFarmerWendy
myfarmnt 
Very interesting. Am excited to see final outcome especially with the proportional representation in force. Could we also know how many votes in total and what percentages for each breed please.
Who voted for fresians?? They were my least favourite!
I so wish this wasn’t the end….
Me did Moonshine! these are OLD BLOODLINE Fresians (rare) .
… and so many things still to discuss. The badger cull, milk prices and the bad potato harvest to name a few. Not to mention the worldwide impact of the US corn harvest.
There are blogs and stuff on the River Cottage web site but it won’t be the same.
Agree F’s Moonshine & Bullshot.
F Andrew a “small” request 🙂 would it be possible to post a report on what MyFarmers achieved ie the effects of the results of all the votes and their impact on Home Farm and the estate. Would like to know how the hedge we voted for is doing, what happened to the Cambridge sausages, how the Bagots, Oxford Downs, bees in fact all the animals are doing plus the final outcome of our wheat ( has it been sold yet? ). I can see your face now but MyFarm has been a unique experiment and experiments are always written up. OK, OK I’ll stop now but ……… Please 🙂
Well, well, well what a result. Am disappointed in the low turnout despite pleas for MyFarmers to vote. As I voted for the Red Polls I am naturally very pleased they came out top – just. My 2nd choice would have been Ayrshires so win some loose some in my case. As you say Andrew quite a conundrum but I am sure given the time available F Morris, F Wendy and Stockman Mark will come up with a solution to satisfy all. Perhaps a solution would be to use the Friesans already on the farm to release funds to purchase the best of the others and maybe more Ayreshires to make up the desired herd? Just a thought.
Dare I ask if you will still be around on Home Farm in the future? It would be nice to see you and F Rob still there when I visit.
Thank you to all the MyFarm friends I have made over the past 18 months I have enjoyed your company and I will miss you all. Well done MyFarm Team you have done an excellent job and certainly educated me. Good Luck to you all in the future. Now I have to go in search of a tissue. 😦
Oops! Emotion got the better of me should have said in my earlier post use the Gloucesters already on the farm not Friesians – sorry.
Oh no! I’m being a big girl now and F.Doherty has made me have tears in my eyes… at my desk! Not good…
Anyway… 289?? What?? Well there you go, that says it all about the end of MyFarm doesn’t it really….. what a huge shame.
Still… I WON! WOOOO! Red Polls galore at the farm now please 😉
Let’s not all say goodbye just yet though… we still have 2 months ish left for updates and whatnot, yes? *clutches at straws*
Sorry F Moonshine I blame F Andrew and his lump in his throat he started me off. I like your positive thinking who knows one of us might win the Lottery and be able to bring back MyFarm. I’m off to buy a ticket now:-)
Not feeling great about making two of our number cry — sorry ladies! Not sure this will help though… but Farmer Rob has, sadly, already ‘left the building’. I suspect I won’t be far behind (my mortgage provider isn’t a MyFarmer!) but the plan is for updates from the farm to continue until at least the end of the year and, hopefully, beyond.
Good luck with whatever comes in the future Andrew. Hopefully MyFarm will have a mention in your CV and setting up a blog will be a useful skill to have,
That’s a shame. Hope you go on to greater things – MyFarm has surely been an educational curve for many people and reconnected so many with agriculture and food production.
Good luck.
Not a difficult problem. As the red polls “won” then they should get an extra cow to make up the number to 15. But as mentioned this could simply depend on what is available.
I’m not at all surprised about the low turnout – I mean really, what’s the point of joining in somthing just as it is ending?
I guess Home Farm is not going anywhere but the MyFarm lease is definately up!
And stop all the silly blubbing. Not the end of the world.
I am NOT blubbing……….. there was a bit of pond field clay in my eye dangit!
Hey, it’s all the old gang! (come on Foow, what do you think?)
Agree with F. Bullshot that for 15, the Red Polls get an extra seat, oops sorry place
I felt the proportional voting was perhaps slightly less interesting in a way – at least with first past the post, I felt that my vote might make a big difference (although, why would it be different? Good fun this!)
My vote was Gloucester, for the cheese 🙂
I’d like to hope that perhaps one day in the future, I pop into the Farm Shop and see – our sausages, our wheat (flour), our cheese from the herd, and perhaps even our wool ready for knitting, coppiced wood from our hedges ready to take home for beanpoles… Even better if some of our other somewhat wackier ideas from the early days were taken up! I’d still be happy to help out digging and planting hedges, or (wouldn’t it be fun) demonstrating how to make bread the old-fashioned way!
Good luck to the Farm, for those who will continue to cultivate, crop, maintain, breed; good luck to the NT for those who entertain and teach; good luck to those who are moving on to other things. I enjoyed the MyFarm experience, and I did learn a lot – thanks to everyone who participated actively!
hugs
Sali
WACKY? we didn’t have no wacky ideas……….!!! (it all depends on the starting point of the concept Sali!)
I did try a few wacky ideas – if you consider Lupins in that category! Also there is the Cold-Pressed Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil to look forward to as well.
No British stiff upper lip in my neck of the woods – nothing wrong with blubbing but I’m over it now. Not very good at maths but like the idea of another Red Poll. However, as there was some surprise at the lack of votes for the Ayrshire I get the impression that they would have been the choice of F Morris and or Stockman Mark so why not get 2 Ayrshires?
Hello Foow are you going to have a last word too? Would be nice to hear from you.
Actually getting at least two of each breed is probably a better idea.
Yes sad to that this is the last vote. I chose to vote the for Gloucester breed as I had been treated to some Double Gloucester Cheese a few days earlier and I would hate to see the cheese disappear, not to mention the breed!!! Best wishes to all. I would love to add a jpeg of the colours of our trees this Fall but I am not sure how to do it and it’s not really relevant. Best wishes to all.
Nice to hear from you too F JaneofMarch. I can imagine the trees they are just beginning to change around here – beautiful.
I think, personally, that F. Morris and Mark (with i am sure Wendy doing the ‘legwork’) need to be more concerned about the lines they can get over the next 3-6 months and that the ‘extra’ cow can be chosen if and when another good line comes along.
Deciding to plant Wheat X or wheat Y was one thing, planning for a long term dairy requires some complex and time consuming permutations. I’ll leave the “extra couple of cows” in their more than capable hands…..
I think the farm could also choose to put the Ayreshire “on hold” until the herd is well under way. I have no clue on “family” type stuff for cattle but I don’t really like the idea of only a single cow of any breed ….. I think it needs to be 2 at least
Me thinks Sali needs to fire up the myfarmopedia again and upload photos from those who DO have a chance to get to the farm in the future! One of us at least can’t do a ‘day trip’ to the farm every few months (or even once a year for that matter!)
Great to hear from you F Foow, like your thinking on both the herd and Sali firing up myfarmopedia again. Didn’t use it last time (ignorance on my part) but would learn how to if Sali set it up again. I live not too far away and would make big effort to visit Home Farm and upload to the site. Now my family have kindly bought me this iPad I think it would be easier?
Happy to “fire up” the wiki – I’ll check and get back to you!
(PS much easier than my latest hobby – firing up the clay wood-fired oven we built in the garden – it is variable to say the least, though I think we’re getting there!)
Well, it took a while to even find it again!! However the wiki is still live (but resting) at:
https://sites.google.com/site/myfarmopedia/
It is currently set for anyone to view (I hope), but only signed up members to contribute – I’m happy to change this, or alternatively if anyone would like to e.g. post photos, messages etc then just send me an email at salilah11 at gmail dot com, and I will add you to the list of people who can edit
For anyone who wasn’t around when we were using the wiki – feel free to explore! Sadly it won’t replace the discussions or interaction, but we could easily use it to upload photos if wanted!
Let me know
S
Have successfully accepted your invitation to join myfarmopedia F Salilah hope others do too.
Sorry to hear that you are leaving F Andrew but it was inevitable I suppose. I wish you all the best for the future and it should certainly be a big plus on your CV. I hope you and F Rob enjoyed your time as MyFarmers as much as I did.
Oh well, I voted for Shorthorn – ignoring the Red Polls which I thought would win (i think these are the docile breed that roam Midsomer Common in the centre of Cambridge).