Not really but these sheep are pasturing on around 32 acres of river bank.
I know because these fields used to belong to us & we had our in calf heifers out all summer on this grassland.
This bit with the River Wyre on the right & Wall Mill Pool brook feeding into it along the bottom was the boundary for our fields.
The present owners use the rest of the land for growing maize, silage or whatever they decide to feed to the cows on the large dairy farm they own the other side of the the river.
Luckily Connie has no interest in sheep whatsoever! She was off looking for more exciting things like rabbits or birds.
Three good things:
1. Church cleaning & as the cafe was closed for the holiday they all came back to ours & had coffee & the good thing I had that large home made cake in a tin!
2. The chap with the metal detector came tonight but we never found the bit if metal off the bird feeder…it’s sunk without trace. Turned out it was the guy from the village greengrocer!
3. The fencing man came to measure up for the fence that blew down.
A lovely scene of the sheep grazing peacefully , bringing back happy memories of when your sheep grazed this land Pat , Good to be able to invite your church friends home for a cuppa -- and it is always good to have a cake ready for such an occasion !!
@busylady@kwind@beryl@casablanca Thank you all for your usual lovely comments…it’s so nice that you show such interest!
As for looking across at our old home yes I suppose I do look across with fond memories. We enjoyed our farming life immensely but it got harder & harder to make a living. Everything went back into the farm so we worked seven days a week, twelve hours a day for peanuts! It’s definitely a way of life & that’s why the average age of a farmer in the UK is mid sixties I believe. I really fear for the UK farmer just now with everything so costly…fertiliser etc out of everyone’s league.
Our cows in the UK spend at least half a year inside …so much work but we enjoyed every minute…well most!
I miss the cows most of all…they are such lovely creatures.
A lovely rural scene. I always find it a little odd to look at places where we have lived. When we revisited Cyprus a few years ago, we made the effort to drive to the quarters where we had lived & I felt that people were living in my house. Maybe because those particular quarters were new & we were the first people to live in that house.
Farming how you describe it is the same the world over I do believe. We have never been richer since we sold the livestock. It gets so frustrating to realize that we - the farmers - put more money into the food people eat than what we can sell it for. Basically the farmer is subsidizing those who purchase the food.
It's not right.
You’ve had a busy day. I love your narrative and this comment stream. You’ve had a lovely life, farming, B&B, and I’m sure more. Farming is the hardest job in America now. Inflation is completely out of hand. They can’t catch a break. And honestly, we can’t survive without them.
@farmreporter Same here Wendy….we were never as well off in our lives when we sold the farm & cows…..only lasted for a bit though as we bought & renovated our bungalow! Spent too much of course, costs went up but we love it & it’s perfect for our retirement.
@louannwarren I don’t think the general public realise how food prices seem will have to rise. The days of cheap food will have to come to an end….good local home produced food & less of it will perhaps be good for us al!!! Fast unhealthy but beautifully convenient meals perhaps going back to the occasional treat it should be…..perhaps not!!
Milk is cheaper than water here! One supermarket put the price up by 6pence I believe but I bet none went to the producer!
We have lost almost all our small family farms & they have to get bigger & more intensive to survive!
I've investigated salt marsh lamb - not known here but it does sound as if it is rather special. Perhaps you don't need to put salt on that succulent lamb!
As for looking across at our old home yes I suppose I do look across with fond memories. We enjoyed our farming life immensely but it got harder & harder to make a living. Everything went back into the farm so we worked seven days a week, twelve hours a day for peanuts! It’s definitely a way of life & that’s why the average age of a farmer in the UK is mid sixties I believe. I really fear for the UK farmer just now with everything so costly…fertiliser etc out of everyone’s league.
Our cows in the UK spend at least half a year inside …so much work but we enjoyed every minute…well most!
I miss the cows most of all…they are such lovely creatures.
It's not right.
Milk is cheaper than water here! One supermarket put the price up by 6pence I believe but I bet none went to the producer!
We have lost almost all our small family farms & they have to get bigger & more intensive to survive!