It looks now proper autumn weather is with us and our newly grass fields are thankful for some moisture. The seeds have just started to come through if you look at them with the sun in front of you, sown 5-6 weeks ago. The delightful October was great in all other ways though and hopefully shortens the winter a little. We have just started to give some of the lambs extra feed in the form of ground wheat, beans and barley mixed with molasses. A small group of nearly ready cattle also are on silage and the same mix. This group have access to a field but very often choose to remain in particularly in the rain!

The Times article last week about all becoming veggies as it supposed to be better for greenhouse gases has caused considerable comment within the livestock industry! Most of you reading this of course eat meat, we do have veggie customers buying for their families and I have huge respect for that.The argument is basically flawed, firstly our digestion is not designed to be completely veg or meat based, we are omniverous and I love a meal of meat and 3 or 4 veg! secondly yes in Bedfordshire we could replace some of our grass with crops but not all. Some may remember our grazing land disappearing under water one July. This would reck any crop other than grass for that year and therefore produce nothing for a year. These fields can and do flood at anytime, by doing so we help protect Bedford! A huge part of the UK is not suitable for cropping but will provide excellent grazing for animals hence we produce food from areas that would otherwise only be moorland or forest. Vital on such a small island.

Now the important bit for meat eaters!

We have a lovely Angus x steer this week and another next that I am sure will eat well.(full range available) We have slightly smaller lambs this week so all cuts will be correspondingly slightly smaller, still a whole leg or shoulder will be a good feast.
Salt beef has also had great reviews and we have some again this week.
We do have some home made bacon and gammon and local free range chickens( with giblets). Fresh Pork 12th-14th
As we have entered November I will mention Christmas, we are begining to take orders now, we will have a full range available upto 19th December, after that it will be remaining stocks. We can freeze and store for you or vacpac when we get into December.

On the farm the rain is welcome and should help my newly sown grass to get going, hopefully the rain will penetrate enough to do some good, some of the fields are rather parched and the lambs in particular would appreciate some fresh green shoots! I do rather like this time of year as the main weather dependant jobs are done and most of the animals are still out in the fields, I should be able to "farm" my ever increasing pile of paper!