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Current Agricultural activities on the farm centre on the production of hay for the equine and cattle markets. Of the 27 acres that make up the farm currently 19 are set for hay production. In spring 2006 we constructed an agricultural barn to hold both the equipment used in the production and the hay itself.   

Preparing for Hay Making on the Farm

In spring 2004 (our first year on the farm) we had our 19 acre field re-seeded for hay making using a special seed mix to enhance the properties of the resulting hay. When we first moved in we had no equipment so all the work on the field was done by our kind neighbour Mick Sparrow. Mick grows and sells Turf for Turf-is-us along with his wife and one of his sons, so had the necessary skills, tools and experience which we lacked. Mick has also guided us through the work necessary to maintain the paddocks and hay field along with the selection of equipment we needed to acquire.

As we found out the story does not stop when the grass grows. There is a large amount of work which has to be done in order to ensure a good hay harvest. This includes pest control mainly involving rabbits and moles (both can do significant and costly damage not only to the hay field but the plant used on it). Pest control is an ongoing and time consuming operation. Finally the grass itself needs to be looked after by ensuring the right type and volume of fertiliser is used and that the weeds are kept under control. Fertiliser is applied in early spring and has mineral supplements added to take account of the soil deficiencies. To minimize the use of weed killer some organic weeding techniques have been employed using a spring-tine weeder and heavy roller. These techniques have proved surprisingly effective although have not entirely eliminated the need for chemical weed killer. Chemical Weed control involves spraying twice a year once in March and again in October. 

Hay production 2010

The weather conditions this year were again quite a challenge for hay making. The long dry spell has affected the growth and yields are down to around 50% of normal. We have cut just under half of the field and decided to hold off and take a later (second) cut of the rest to get a better yield with move food value.

New Garage block August 2010

A new garage block has been built to house the cars and provide a new workshop area. The chosen building is based on a cart barn design and fits in with the other buildings. It has been sited to minimise the visual impact on the site.