THE weather over the last week has continued to be quite volatile. Air pressure was low at the beginning of the weekend, but soon rose to give us a few days of sunshine, accompanied by a rather chilly breeze.

The early mornings were frosty, enabling our student James to take some slurry liquor from our rather full lagoon to spread on our fields of over-wintered stubble. As February 15 has now passed, the stubble fields can now be prepared for the sowing of our forage maize crop in a few months' time. Mid-week saw the arrival of wind and rain, and by the end of the week the temperature had risen almost 10C, with a mixture of sunshine and clouds.

If you can remember, our local NFU group recently visited the Mole Valley Mill in Calne, built in 1965 and acquired by Mole Valley in 2008. We were taken on a guided tour, which was very interesting. The mill has three production lines, operating for six days and five nights each week producing a wide range of nuts, pellets, rolls and meals for sale to the livestock industry in bulk, tote bags (approx 0.5 tonnes in weight), also small bags. It has a daily output of 400 tonnes, with machines able to weigh, grind mix and cube.

The challenge, however, is the production of 300 brands each week, which are made to order as nothing is stored. Meal can be sold as a blend of several ingredients with the addition of molasses to produce cubes, which acts to stick the meals together. The meals have to be pressed a number of times to expel the air, at which point it is at about 65C. As the resulting pellets, cubes or rolls are cooled, using ambient air, they harden, before finally being coated with rape or sunflower oil. This has a twofold effect, in keeping the dust down and adding some nutritional value. Then the products are either supplied in bulk or bagged using robotic technology.

James and Ian mucked out the barn housing the calves born since the end of August last year. They did look cosy nestled into their thick bed of fresh straw. Whilst at the buildings I went to have a look at two recently born Angus x calves that had not been very well.

They were scouring a little and generally looked below par, so Richard and I had fetched a heat lamp, fixing it safely above two specially made, well-bedded pens to try and aid their recovery. I am pleased to sat they both looked fit and well when I saw them at the end of the week. I also popped my head round the corner to see how the bull was, following his hoof being examined and treated by our vet. He looked blissfully happy surrounded by his lady friends.

On Stowell Farm, lambing has begun with the arrival of a set of quads and a set of twins. Unfortunately, the ewe giving birth to the quads needed a caesarian section, with only two of her lambs managing to survive the ordeal. However, the ewe and her surviving quads are doing well.

Richard has been doing some more repair jobs. The hook-on linkage on the hedge-cutter has been repaired, also some worn flails have been replaced on the muck spreader, so that it can begin work as soon as the fields become drier, if ever.

At the end of the week it was once again time for our annual Wiltshire Farmers' Ball, held in West Lavington. This year the tickets were sold out, with an enjoyable time had by all, with canapes and a reception drink followed by a silver service meal, then dancing to a live band. As per usual we held a raffle which, thanks to all those who bought tickets and the sponsors of our raffle prizes, raised £1,587, which will be donated to the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution and Wiltshire Air Ambulance.