Thursday 30 November, 2023

In your field: James and Isobel Wright - 'Our new steel barn is literally Christmas for us'

We are now well into winter and have settled into a nice routine, with Isobel and I taking turns on feeding and checking cows.

clock • 2 min read
In your field: James and Isobel Wright - 'Our new steel barn is literally Christmas for us'

We are now well into winter and have settled into a nice routine, with Isobel and I taking turns on feeding and checking cows.

We had 150 extra ewes turn up on tack for winter, which has proved interesting as on the first day they took a detour into a rather wealthy individuals garden and then promptly got stuck in brambles on the footpath.
Needless to say, it was not quite the hassle we were looking for.
The new barn is arriving on January 4 and is a bit of a change for us. When we first viewed the farm four years ago there was one pole barn built in the 1980s and half a pole barn that burnt down in 2008.
This new barn will be made of steel, have 21 foot bays rather than 14ft feet and, amazingly, will have concrete panels around the outside. For the average owner-occupier, I am sure this sounds the norm but for young tenant farmers a fancy new shed is quite literally Christmas.
I rather embarrassingly managed to pop the tyre on the New Holland TH6 that the Princes Countryside Fund and New Holland gave us for the year.
It wasnt quite the bill I wanted in the middle of November but the local tyre guys were incredible and came out within hours of having the call, and I was able to carry on feeding and mucking out.
However, I am now a bit paranoid and make doubly sure to check my route before I drive.
At Horsham District Council I have been given the responsibility for championing environment and rural affairs.
There is an enormous amount of change happening, not only nationally with the loss of Basic Payments and our ever changing trading relationships, but also locally as we try to navigate challenges around the Covid-19 recovery and major housing developments.
The Wilder Horsham District is a project we have established where the council can provide advice and funding to unlock nature corridors, linking up our areas of high nature value using farm land without majorly impacting productivity.
Its an opportunity for us all to benefit, be that the residents, farmers and nature, and a model wed like to see more councils adopt.

SUFFOLK, Laxfield

SUFFOLK, Laxfield

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

ESSEX, Shalford

ESSEX, Shalford

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

LINCOLNSHIRE, Carlton Scroop

LINCOLNSHIRE, Carlton Scroop

VIEW ADVERT
£POA

More on Farm Life

A tractor driver has been arrested following a fatal collision in Norfolk

Tractor driver arrested after woman dies in three-vehicle crash

Police appeal for information after two tractors involved in fatal collision

clock 29 November 2023 • 1 min read
NFU president has said she is amazed by people's reactions to the Red Tractor review

NFU president 'amazed' by Red Tractor indpendence review row

Union dismisses rumours of 'cover up' as managment consultants Campbell Tickell announced as assurance body probe team

clock 29 November 2023 • 2 min read
In your field: Alice Dyer and Adam Lockwood - 'Be stubborn on vision, but flexible on details'

In your field: Alice Dyer and Adam Lockwood - 'Be stubborn on vision, but flexible on details'

This month marks a year since we moved to our farm on a long-term lease with Warwickshire County Council — a dream that felt probably out of reach when we started our business five years ago.

Farmers Guardian
clock 28 November 2023 • 2 min read