Apley farming news

Wheat at sunrise, Camp field, Home Farm, by Ian Edwards

Stockman Bill’s van stuck at Higford

Calves being let out, Aberdeen Angus

Fencing, Bradley’s Meadow, Cheswardine Lane

Oil seed rape, Lower Severn

2 bulls fighting, Foofighter & Earl

Apley’s best bull calf 2015, British Blue Cross Limousin, sire Earl British Blue

Ian Edwards takes amazing photos & works for us on the Apley Farms. He’s just sent me a farming diary update in photos, which is fab. I’ve labelled each one, to give an explanation. My favourite of course is the sunrise over the wheat field. For the 2 bulls fighting, he said before they’re turned out to the cows again, they’re let out in the field together for a while & he caught them having a tussle ! Earl is a British Blue & our best bull calf this year is photographed here, whose mother was a Limousin. The dark cattle are Aberdeen Angus & normally skip around as soon as they’re let out into the field for the first time, but these ones just stood & looked at Ian ! Some of them will of course end up at Apley Farm Shop. Then Bill’s van got stuck in the mud at Higford, on the eastern side of the Estate. In the park, on the river meadows, the oil seed rape is very late this year – but on other parts of the Estate it’s already in flower. The ongoing task is repairing fencing, which at least must be very satisfying !

Last week, I met Adrian, Apley’s Farm Manager, to plan Open Farm Sunday – it’s a free event, organised all over the UK, held this year on Sunday 7 June & is always very popular with all age groups.