Another week of mixed weather – windy, stormy and dull, with some short periods of warm sunshine, including an inch of rain falling in 24 hours.

These conditions were far from ideal for harvesting but, with Richard’s help, Kevin managed to finish combining the peas, moving on to the wheat before the rain fell, at the beginning of the week.

While Richard gathered the wheat, Mark hauled the grain to the store and Kevin followed close behind the combine with the baler, finishing close to midnight.

The peas grown on Stowell farm are marrowfat, which are sold on to make mushy peas.

This is done by first soaking the dried peas in water, to which has been added some bicarbonate of soda. They are then rinsed in fresh water, before being simmered with a little sugar and salt until a thick, lumpy soup is formed.

I have to say that I am quite partial to a portion of mushy peas with fish and chips!

The wheat harvested on Manor Farm yielded better than was expected, with the field that was almost ploughed up and reseeded giving us about three tonnes to the acre,a surprise to us all!

We are still spreading manure, ploughing and generally cultivating the arable ground to prepare for planting.

We recently received the results of soil samples taken from some of our fields. We have a field needing some lime and another some phosphorus, but generally the results were good.

Richard is trying to plant some grass seed in a field next to the farm buildings, which was planted with winter barley last year.

The stubble has been rotavated, sprayed with a herbicide once the weeds and volunteer cereals had germinated, power harrowed and now needs rolling before the seed can be planted.

The trouble is that the on-and-off damp conditions make the soil too sticky to roll.

During the week our dry cows were moved to fresh pasture.

En route, the cows closer to calving were separated from the group before being taken to a barn to join others, where they will be fed a diet containing a higher level of nutrients.

Recently some of the cows have developed an ocular disease called New Forest Eye.

This disease is caused by a parasitic bacteria (Morexella bovis),which can be found on mucous membranes on the animals.

It is spread by direct contact and flies, is highly contagious, causing runny eyes, red and inflamed conjunctiva with corneal ulcers developing in the later stages. If treated early, the condition is soon cured and the risk of it being spread to other animals is less likely.

Our yearling heifers have recently been freeze-branded with their individual numbers, to make them easier to identify in the field, also when joining the milking herd next autumn.

A super cold iron is used, which destroys the colour pigment-producing cells, resulting in white or colourless hair growing at the brand site.

Richard and Ian have been performing some general maintenance around the farm buildings, including the clearance of some gutters filled with moss brought down by the heavy rain and replacing some of the lights in the cubicle barn.

The windscreen wipers on the Landrover stopped working, so it was out of action for a day to have a new motor fitted.

Calving has not begun well, as the first calf to be born had a leg back, which made things difficult. Unfortunately we lost the bull calf, but the heifer is fine and has now joined the rest of the milking cows.

I am, however, pleased to report that the second calf born was a pretty live heifer calf, and mum and baby are doing well!