Better times ahead

I always look forward to the onset of spring as it signals the end of a long Dartmoor winter and holds so much promise of new life and a potential window into how our sheep, cows and calves will do going forward. But the farm at this time of year does put you through the wringer and by the end of May I am worn out, and can’t wait to get off the farm for a few days and have a break. Our first outing is usually to Devon County Show with the kids and our team of Whiteface Dartmoor sheep, to do battle in the show ring. It’s great to see the other exhibitors and friends, and always a good release after a long winter. You share war stories from your winter campaigns on the farm, celebrate victories and losses alike. Then you come home after three days, tired, a little bit hung over, but revitalised as you realise this lonely existence isn’t so bad after all – it’s a great chance to bring the farming community together.

Sadly, it won’t be happening at the usual time at the end of May due to Covid; it has been moved to July with a different format, breaking the showing down into three individual days, so the stock don’t need to stay on site and to allow social distancing. However, it’s great it can go ahead, and I won’t be taking sheep myself this year as I have been asked to judge the Scotch Blackface breed at the show. All I have to do is turn up looking presentable, be treated to a lovely lunch and judge the sheep. I just hope I can persuade Gem to drive as the Scotch boys like to have a celebratory whisky after the judging and if I have done my job right, I may get invited to join them! We will also get away on a short non-agricultural related break at some point before the summer holidays. Gemma and the boys appreciate Devon County Show, but a proper get away with no farming distractions will hit the spot - probably meeting up with friends in a camp site somewhere on the coast, hopefully in good weather!

This spring’s long, dry, cold spell was getting a bit concerning back in April. It was great for lambing sheep as the lambs were born dry and clean with the sun on their backs which helps so much. The trouble is the ground dried right out and we were short of grass, it was cold with almost daily frosts through April, holding back any growth in our fields as well as your gardens. The ewes were hungry once they had lambs at foot and although we were taking out extra feed, it wasn’t until May that we had any significant rain so the ewes could start to gain some weight. We were glad of it when it came as we were pretty desperate, but let’s just hope that now the rain has come, it knows when to stop!

Usually, early summer is a time when we can take things a bit easier - we are literally waiting for the grass to grow before we have to start harvesting our hay and silage. We have our sheep to shear and everything has to be seen and tended to, but as everything thrives in the early summer sun, the moor comes to life. As all the ewes and cows disappear in the vast Dartmoor landscape, those short, wet winter days and the cold dry spring seem a long way off.

By Mat Cole, Greenwell Farm