Sheep News….

Gordon the Ram has now gone back to join his friends on Dartmoor and the ladies have had a trim, just in time for the warmer weather. With such a tiny flock, we will use the wool ourselves as it makes a perfect mulch. It takes several years to break down and is perfect for preventing the weed growth around young trees.

They look a little embarrassed by the whole idea, and are now on a nutritious but strict diet having become… how shall we say this politely… rather chubby during their time in the orchard! Needless to say, they’re not impressed!

A workhorse leaves and a monster ‘project’ arrives…

Having given it a complete service, Sam and Hetty spent the Easter weekend taking our first apple harvester on a very long trip north to its new home in Scotland where it will no doubt

continue to be a great work horse for its new owners.

Almost as that one left the county, a new monster self-propelled harvester arrived in the yard. This is the next refurbishment project… and there’s an awful lot to do! Instead of needing a

second person to haul trailer loads of apples back to the yard, this much bigger machine will mean that apple harvest will become a one man job when necessary.

The hope is it will be ready this Autumn, but as always with these things, it might take longer than anticipated, so it’s good that we still have last year’s refurbishment ready and waiting.

In between times, the routine jobs of keeping the crops healthy and well fed continues along with delivering straw and ongoing machinery and hedge maintenance. The mixture of rain and warmth has resulted in fantastic spring growth everywhere including in the wild flower meadow in front of Harefield Barn.  I’m delighted to say that it looks to be full of oxeye daisies again this year – so beautiful for couples wedding photos!  The orchard is just bursting into flower too, so wonder this has to be one of my favourite months of the year!