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Yes, our three newest additions to the croft have arrived: Wilma, Julia and Marcia. They have got quite an undertaking of land that I wish for them to dig up for me over the summer but they have made a fair impressive on their arrival. Introductions with last year’s calves required no formal process…although they looked more suited for a ‘touch, pause, engage’ rugby scrum between the nearly all blacks and the nearly all blacks…best behaviour by both parties though.

What: Poly and Barbie Party.

When: Thursday 19th April, 1pm

Where: Ours…if you need directions, let me know.

Why: The weather is set to be tropical and the plastic cover needs to be put up over the polytunnel frame in +15 degrees C, which happens rarely for us so we have one day this year to complete the job and this is no small frame…

Who: Everyone, no gardening experience or qualifications such as having a B & Q card required. Just the ability to lend a hand.

What, just work? No, the BBQ will be planned from 5pm so families with younger kids can come too (not everyone has to help).

Whay-hay: You’ve got the day free so can come? Great, let me know so I can plan food quantities. If we get enough volunteers we’ll plan on the spit roaster being back in action (apologies to all vegetarians regarding the spit roaster but hey, come and help us to be able to grow more than just tatties and turnips!)

Well, no, it’s not all about the beef, although that is our main croft income. We do have lamb, although I prefer hogget (1-2 year old sheep so better flavour), occasionally pigs, and every so often chicken when they have reached that time in their life when suited for the slow cooker. Meat is not the only thing, there is a vegetable garden, raised beds, a small orchard and a soft fruit area.

Last year while having my year long sabbatical I was able to do a lot more in the vegetable garden. In the past I left it to the Crofter; working a full week meant I had little ambition for tackling the garden, there were other things I enjoyed much more: flail mowing, brush cutting, probably a lot of things rather than gardening (but a lot of things you can’t do while the sole responsible adult of the Mini Crofter). And there was my problem. Vegetable gardening is much easier little and often, not one full day digging up a year’s worth of weeds. This means the weeds are still there, we are still at war with each other, but they aren’t winning as much. Last year was our best crop of vegetables. Which means the pressure is on for this year.

So, with the sun shining out I was for a quick stint in the garden. Which meant I made a discovery; we have a lot more vegetables still in the garden than I thought were left. Usually we have eaten the crop by mid winter. However there is still kale, leeks, cabbage, turnips, red onions, and even a couple beetroot.

This means last year was our best crop of vegetables. Not a ‘must-enter-vegetable-competition’ success but a vast improvement. Aspiration to match it this year then…

I had been amazed at what grew last year, I’m now impressed at what remains. Although, it means I need to up my veg intake to be sure it’s good to go for planting vegetables this year. Otherwise, it will be all about the beef…

Many will have heard of ‘The Sheep-pig’. I first came across it at Ninelands Lane Junior school, where I was brought up, when it was read to the class by our teacher Mrs Bracewell. It has been read multiple times since although not recently as it hasn’t been necessary. Why? Because I have a working ‘sheep-pig’ too, only ours is a ‘sheep-sheep’. Chunky is a cheviot wedded. He was destined for the pot early on. But, Chunky was a fast learner and quick to realise a whistle meant a bucket, a bucket meant food, and no need to fear the woman holding the bucket. He would be the first to arrive and would follow you about, at your heel, if you had any sign of food. So, he was christened ‘Chunky’. From a herd of twenty, the numbers were slowly whittled down as they were sent off to the freezer in the sky. Normally all sheep would be checked to see who was the fattest, although Butch and Skydiver were high up the list regardless of size due to their ability to either bully others or throw themselves over fences. Chunky was always just a wee bit thiner than the rest so saved himself on several occasions when I had been prepared for ‘Chunky nae-more’. But, Chunky came to prove himself when collecting in the breeding ewes last year. One wild bunch that would refuse to go through the gate to better pastures. Step in Chunky. Take him with you, following at your heels like a sheep dog and soon all the other sheep would be around him. Walk to where you need them with him right at your side, all the nervous ones following and firmly close gate. Who needs a sheep dog when you have Chunky?

Last week I had to get the sheep into a pen through a different gate then normal. All came apart from one. Never fear, get Chunky back with you, do a quick circle and remaining Blackface came following Chunky. He has helped bring in ewes for lambing and helped to get lambs into the trailer. He is now of too much value in terms of sheep handling. Even when we have got new sheep him, they trust Chunky. I know some farmers will throw their arms up and say I need to stop the attachment-disorder but, most of them have sheep dogs, quad bikes, or lots of time to collect their sheep. I don’t, so I’m more than happy to use Chunky with the bonus that I don’t need to take him on walks to make sure he has his exercise. Some people may think I’m hard as nails with naming all of our other animals and then sending them off for the freezer but in this case, Chunky will remain here on our croft as our working sheep-sheep.

As the weather called for outside work (really, when does it not), I spent a little time with our Mini Beasts. The Three Stooges of the calving world. As they reach their first birthdays and the new calves will hopefully be arriving on the croft, handling them as much as possible moves higher up the priority list. Mini beasts growing to big beasts that are high strung are not high on my ‘ohh, what will I do today? I’ll go cozy up with a wild cow, I will’ list.  Having the handling facility makes it so much easier and gets them familiar with it. Less stress for everyone. Now, I did look at my nice clean cement flooring and wonder about getting them in but, staying on top of the mess and taking a shovel and brush after each stint is nothing in comparison to calm cows. And it wasn’t that long ago when Feonghall broke through my electric fence in a nano second as a high strung steer and I set his destiny with the stars (aka abattoir).

As it turned out they were not as calm as they looked. Soon after tucking into their buckets they started playing musical feeds, each pushing to their right. Eventually a bucket didn’t conform and will need a new lot in life. Grass it always greener…