March '08

There are lots of routine jobs to do at this time of the year. The lengthening days also give us a chance to catch up on some maintenance jobs.

The chickens are providing us with enough eggs for our own needs, but are really way past their ‘best before date’ from a commercial perspective. The oldest hen – a Speckledy – who is eight or nine, lays an occasional dark egg but mostly spends time avoiding the cockerel’s advances!

We have brought the three cows back from our fields at Ty’n y Coed. They decided to make the task of getting them into the trailer as difficult as possible, but as usual, patience triumphed in the end. We will soon have a better holding pen there, with gates which close behind the cows to move them into the trailer.

Asparagus tips

Seedlings of brassicas, lettuce and onions are coming up in the poly-tunnel, and the green shoots of garlic in five rows outside are a welcome sign of spring. We have started cutting asparagus spears; this may seem somewhat early but ours respond well to the warmth of the poly-tunnel. Outside, the early-forced shoots of rhubarb have been a treat at breakfast time.