Once again, it is the weather which is our major tormentor. Last year it was drought - this year rain.
You may have seen on BBC Countryfile last night that the South East of England has experienced 3 x the normal amount of rainfall for this time of year, causing extensive crop damage, whilst the rest of the country is experiencing below average rainfall. In one 24 hour period we had 2.5 inches of rain- which is 3/4 of a total months' rainfall for this time of year!
I hope that this newsletter finds you surviving the stresses of yet another lockdown, and that you are still managing to enjoy your garden birds.
Many of you will have noticed that there have been some significant changes to our business since December. The two main ones being the move away from our previous courier APC, and the fact that you are now receiving your goods in cardboard boxes.
First published in the 18th century, the Christmas carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" remains a firm favourite amongst festive folk to this day! There have been many theories about the carol and its hidden meanings, one of which suggests the song was used to help teach Catholics the principles of their faith.
In this scenario the 'partridge in a pear tree' represents Christ. However, other people believe the song was written for a far more whimsical purpose, perhaps as a way of challenging children's memories.
One thing's for certain: this festive Christmas carol features birds. Lots of them! Let's meet some of our festive feathered friends and find out more about them. And yes, we do want you to sing along as you read this blog!
The farm is nearly wrapped up for the winter, however, we are still very busy with our bird food sales and we hope that this blog finds you safe and well.
Whilst the amazing weather of the first lockdown period meant that we could all be outside enjoying nature, our gardens and the great outdoors, this second lockdown has a different feeling. The short days and the wet weather are making everything seem more challenging.
We had a very lucky escape on the evening of August 8th - when our combine harvester caught fire.
Save 10% on your order when you select 'Collect from our farm' at the checkout!
We're pleased to announce that our Click & Collect service is up and running once again. This means that, instead of paying for delivery, you can now come and collect your Really Wild Bird Food products in person - we'll even help you to load them into your vehicle!
You can pick up your order between 8.30am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday. As an added incentive, we'll take 10% off the cost of your purchase if you choose the Collect from our farm option when you check out.
Harvest time is nearly upon us! For me, it is the most exciting and enjoyable time of the farming year; the culmination of a year's work for Richard. It can also be an anxious time; will it all go well? Will the weather stay dry and warm? Despite thorough servicing and a lot of pre-harvest preparation, a combine seems to be an unknown entity until it starts working! We had some mechanical trouble last year (and the year before!) so we are really hoping this year will run smoothly, and if we have some long, dry summer days with evenings like these (photos were taken last year), that will be much appreciated too.
Cleaning jobs have been completed; the grain store, combine and grain trailers are all ready for action, and we have had a chance to do some painting and general maintenance around the farm.
The COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic has devastated the UK in many different ways. We've mourned tens of thousands of deaths. The country's GDP has fallen by more than 20 per cent. Unemployment has soared. Children have missed months of school, and families have been unable to spend time together.
But if all that bad news has made you desperate for a silver lining, here it is: the Great Lockdown of 2020 appears to have been quite beneficial for UK wildlife.
