June News from The Farm

As with all things farming (and gardening) the weather has been the biggest talking point for months now. As you may well remember, last year was one of the wettest on record and during the months of March to May '24 we had a whopping 12" of rain, which left us unable to do any landwork. Move on 12 months, and this year has been one of the driest on record with only 2.1" for the same period! So a transition from hideously wet to exceptionally dry.

The prolonged dry spell has had a huge effect on our crops, which are racing through their growth stages, and if things continue in this vein we will be on for a very early harvest. Many of the crops, particularly the naked oats (which we use for our bird seed) and milling oats which will be used for breakfast cereals and oat milk, are very short in length - due solely to the drought, and I thought you would like to see these comparative photos of the difference. Both photos are of Richard in his crops (just in case you thought we had a very short person working for us last year!) 

We planted our red and white millet on the first days of May. There was some light rain forecast so it was 'all systems go' to get it drilled and make the most of the moisture. We rolled very close behind the drill (and rolled twice) to try to retain the moisture in the soil. As you can see from the photos - flints (or Hampshire Diamonds as they are known in this part of the country) should be our number one crop on the farm. Flinty ground like this does wear out machinery parts very quickly, even when they are made of hard-wearing materials like tungsten. 

A Sad Good-Bye to our Ash Trees

It has been very upsetting to have to undergo a programme of Ash tree felling in our wood, as a result of Ash dieback disease. Ash dieback is caused by a wind-borne fungus which originated in eastern Asia and has probably been in the UK for around 20 years. The fungus overwinters in leaf litter on the ground, particularly on the stalks of diseased ash leaves. It produces small white fruiting bodies between July and October which release spores into the atmosphere, which can then blow tens of miles away. 

The spores then land on leaves, stick to and then penetrate into the leaf and beyond. The fungus then grows inside the tree, eventually blocking its water transport systems, causing it to die.

Trees can fight back, but year-on-year infections will eventually kill them. You can see in my photos the damage that the fungus can do, and in the first photo - that central tree is dying.

Richard has known these trees all his life; some will be more than 100 years old, and it is sad to watch them come down, but they will, in time, become dangerous.

Mother Nature is an incredible force and it will be interesting to see how she repairs our wood in the fullness of time.

We have attended a few farmer meetings recently, which has given us an opportunity to chat to fellow farmers and it is very clear that in the 50 years that Richard has been farming, morale has never been so low. Things are really grim; record numbers of family farms are up for sale, driven by this Government's shambolic policies, combined with world grain prices being very poor. We are very lucky to have our bird seed business and we thank you sincerely for your continued support. If you are able to support British Farming in any way please do what you can.

Feed your birds for less with BIRDIE BASICS™

Our new range of budget- friendly bird seed mixes!

We understand that times are tight and as the cost of living continues to rise, many people simply can't afford to spend a lot on bird food. But we don't want you to miss out on the joy of feeding your garden birds, so we have created our brand new BIRDIE BASICS™ range.

We hope that these low-cost bird seed mixes will enable you to keep feeding your garden birds while saving a bit of money.

Just like our premium seed mixes, these more affordable mixes are packed with home-grown ingredients from our UK farm, so even with the lower price tag, the quality will be significantly better than all the cheap bird food mixes you'll find online and in garden centres.

Plus there's free delivery for everything in the BIRDIE BASICS™ range. 

To help minimise costs for our customers, the Birdie Basics™ range will be available in polypropylene sacks and weigh 20kg.

Prices start at only 70p/kg.

Enjoy feeding your birds for less!

Birdie Basics™ Bronze Birdie Basics™ Silver Birdie Basics™ Gold

Tidy Garden Crunch™ - Still On Offer!

SAVE 15% by using subscriber code CRUNCHTIME15 at checkout*

Tidy Garden Crunch™  is an irresistible combination of our delicious best selling Tidy Garden Mix™ with lots of added crunchy mealworms. A nutritious high protein bird food, which will help garden birds lay good quality eggs, grow strong and healthy chicks and lay down quality feathers in the Autumn.

This new addition is a great choice for feeding at this time of year. Where the ground has been so dry, it has been difficult for garden birds to find lawn insects and invertebrates - so offering this very high energy seed mix with added mealworms will help fledglings find a rich protein source.

Use Subscriber Code CRUNCHTIME15 at checkout to save 15% 

*Offer Ends 30th June

Shop Tidy Garden Crunch™

Last Call for our Seed of The Month Offer

Native Finch Mix - SAVE 20%
Offer ends Midnight on 8th June

It's not just for finches!

From only £7.46

With 11 different seeds, most of them grown by us, high in oil-rich ingredients. Ideal for seed feeders, bird tables or scattering on the ground under hedgerows for all those hungry youngsters.

Shop Native Finch Mix

Request a FREE Catalogue Here >>

As I am sitting writing this, there must be in excess of 30 Starlings in our garden all hungrily devouring fat blocks and emptying the seed feeders at a pace, before digging into our lawn and emptying the bird baths. And enjoying the rain! You gotta love 'em!

Enjoy your birds and Thank you once again for your business.

Best Wishes, 

Lesley