THE week began with a promising start to the weather, warm and sunny. Unfortunately we were soon reminded how quickly things can change when 30mm (over an inch) of rain fell over two days, followed by a drop in temperature with a chilly breeze blowing in from the north-west.

On the first day of the week conditions were perfect for the maize to be planted. Early Saturday morning a contractor arrived with a precision drill and finished planting the seeds in 50 acres, later the same day.

During a phone call with Adele, our daughter farming in North Devon, I was told that the maize on Chuggaton Farm was drilled on April 26, immediately followed by hail and sleet!

However, since planting the weather has been kinder, the crop has germinated, with rows of maize seedlings showing well.

While on the subject of crops, we spoke about our winter wheat, which seems to be looking extremely well, on both Manor and Chuggaton Farm. Son-in-law, Steve, has just replaced an old tractor with a newer second-hand model. Adele told me that he was out on the farm playing with his new toy!

You may remember that we recently turned the milking cows out, but due to the awful weather mid-week, we had to bring them back in for two days. I am pleased to say they are out in the field once again, although they are still in overnight.

At the beginning of the week Richard and Ian were trying to decide when to cut the grass to be made into silage. Wednesday was the chosen day, but it soon became apparent that the weather was not going to allow this to happen. Another check on the forecast indicated a window of opportunity between Friday and the following Wednesday. Despite the 30mm of rain, which fell on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was decided our fields of grass for silage were dry enough to mow at the end of the week. We now have 50 acres of grass lying on the ground, so hopefully the rain will stay away, at least until we have it safely stored in the silage clamp. Adele and Steve are planning to start cutting their silage grass at the beginning of next week.

On Stowell Farm Kevin has finished picking up all the sheep fencing used when the sheep were grazing on neighbouring farms during the late autumn/early winter of 2015. He has also put some fertiliser on the stubble turnips and grass to be cut for silage later in the year. The small flock of ewe lambs born in March last year have just finished giving birth to lambs of their own, which has given Melissa another eight lambs to bottle feed three times a day.

Recently Richard and I visited one of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust's nature reserves, the Jones's Mill site near Pewsey. Jones's Mill is made up of wet woodland, ponds and wet grasslands. We walked around the almost four-hectare site, often with the aid of boardwalks, which have been constructed to keep access across the wet fields and woodland easier. We spent a most enjoyable morning there, coming across a variety of flora and fauna to be found on peaty soils, including lady's smock and a variety of sedges.

There was also a small herd of Belted Galloway cattle which graze the fen to keep the vegetation in check to help maintain a diversity of plants. Belted Galloway cattle originate from Galloway, in Scotland, and are adapted to living on poor pasture, producing good quality beef. The origin of the white belt is unknown, but is thought to have originated from a breed of Dutch cattle.