Blog

Sometimes life can be hard going (more for some than others). Having friends about can really make a difference. And some go over the odds so are given special titles; such as The Green Fairies. Well, of these Green Fairies (there are two), one happens to have a gluten and lactose intolerance. This can make adaptations to cooking a bit more experimental. Such as cheese making. Yes, that’s right, I quite like making cheese and having made a soft cheese (goes really well with smoked salmon), I started to wonder if it was possible to do a lactose free cheese (don’t like leaving anyone out).

Yes, I know you can buy them in the shop. The challenge was making it at home. It is very useful having someone you can get to taste test your experiments. And with that I discovered it is possible. There has been no failures yet with the lactose free cheese (more than I can say about the regular cheese).

So, with the Green Fairies pulling out the stops to help me get to the Spirit of Crofting Awards dinner, the least I can do is prepare some lactose free pot cheese to be had by one special lady. It wouldn’t make up for the lack of sleep as she works late on Thursday to ensure an early start Friday, but cheese will have to be the substitute. So let’s raise a toast (of cheese) to the Green Fairies.

This coming weekend the Scottish Crofting Federation is having a two day event titled ‘ Spirit of Crofting’. This includes an award ceremony for two awards, one being the Young Crofter of the Year. No big deal really, unless you’re one of two who has been shortlisted! And the other nominee being none other than Donald MacSween (Air an Lot, BBC Alba). I don’t think I can just wash my boiler suit and scrub up my wellies. Besides, the current stage of the soon to be Micro-Crofter means boiler suits are now off limits. Hint to all agricultural clothing companies, yes women wear insulated boiler suits (they only make them for men), and secondly, even women who only use non insulated boiler suits become pregnant.

The event itself has meant strategic planning is now in overdrive. The Crofter has been away for the past two weeks and is due home the day of the awards. Cue helicopters, temperamental weather, trains and taxis, one shattered Crofter Wifie who has started having to pack several days before to ensure nothing is forgotten. The Mini -Crofter’s grandparents (aka babysitter’s for the do) are due to arrive in time as long as no accidents happen on the A9. The Green Fairies (friends of ours who are lovingly going with me/us to watch the Mini Crofter during the day/provide support in the evening) are working late Thursday to ensure prompt arrival for registration on the Friday. Starting to sound more like Cinderella going to a ball…if only I had a fairy to sort a full outfit of glam for the night.

Och well, not the normal planning of the croft’s activities. And besides, regardless of what happens, the full cooked breakfast is planned for the day after.

Having sorted a babysitter for tomorrow for the Mini-Crofter, I will be heading to go collect Wilma, Julia and Marcia (complimentary jar of apple sauce to anyone who guesses the connection/reasoning in their names).

These three fine pigs spent their life basking in the sun, wallowing in mud and rooting up grass (and rocks, and weeds). They were placed on an area that has not had pigs before and thus minimises problems such as a build up of worms, etc. They required no medication and enjoyed getting scratched.

Now, they are available for all to enjoy, as the more we eat, the less risk of the older fashioned breeds becoming extinct (these three were not pedigree, they were Gloucester Old Spot cross Saddleback, two breeds on the rare breed watch list).

Although a full list will be available after I have sorted the meat tomorrow, it will be:

Sausages, burgers, belly: £7/kg

Roasts, chops, steaks: £9/kg

These prices are based on the cost of providing the correct environment, labour, slaughter and butchery costs. It’s not something we generally think about when buying food from a supermarket but it’s good to think of what work and money gets invested into our food.

The Crofter has been busy. To improve the rough field he applied for a Crofting grant to put in field drains. After I had been on a land management course the potential of the ‘rough’ field has been envisioned and is a very current goal. Drainage was an issue so having sought advice, the grant was applied for. There use to be clay drains in the past in some parts but they have either been blocked or smashed. After a long, hot, dry summer giving a perfect opportunity to get the work done, the grant finally came through when the rains came.

Never mind, the tractor and/or trailer only got stuck a few times. The process is not quite half way but the satisfaction of seeing water coming out of the pipes already is something to be cheerful about.

Just because the pigs are gone doesn’t mean the work is done. In fact, it has now picked up (literally) in pace.

The area given to the pigs was over grown with rushes and hard to access with machinery. When they were wee, the area was a smaller patch, as they dug it up, the area was extended (leave pigs on ground too long and you have problems with soil compaction). Now that they have had five months of rooting, munching, and digging, it’s now time for the stones to be removed and the soil levelled to allow grass seed to be planted before winter.

Now, normally, picking a bucket of stones a day was a better way of tackling the issue rather than procrastinating and leaving it till the pigs are away. However, the pigs have coincided with the Micro-Crofter’s pregnancy. Which, regardless of how much I willed to be out working, I spent many a days flat on a sofa wishing the ground would swallow me whole. Yes, I will not lie, not everyone thinking pregnancy is blooming marvellous.

So, now that I am feeling better, the stone collecting has commenced. Nae worries, I’m not picking up the heavy ones, and there lies a problem in itself; no heavy lifting. What is ‘heavy’? Well, 25kg feed bags are difficult to heave short distances. 20kg bags (such as chicken feed) are usually fine (OK, not taking it up a munro or running a marathon but in the usual distance needed to move them around the croft). This is probably the point that I should ask all midwives to ignore this post and put a disclaimer on: you lift, your choice). Last pregnancy I lifted the cow’s ring feeder at 5 months, better keep up with this one.

The process is simple. Small stones are collected into the bucket before being tipped into wheelbarrows at the fence, ready to go back fill a drain pipe in the orchard. Hanging on to a lawn mower from going into a ditch is more straining than rock picking, honest. However, if anyone does do rock collecting, feel free to stop by, all stones are free for uplift.