ANOTHER rather gloomy week, with just a sprinkle of rain. There have been only a few short periods of sunshine, but the leaves on trees and hedgerows continue to brighten the countryside.

Richard is still hedge-cutting whilst James and Nathan continue to cultivate fields to be sown with spring crops.

The rest of the time is taken up looking after the cattle, as they need feeding, mucking out and of course milking has to be done morning and afternoon every day.

Ian is still checking the milking cows every evening, also in the middle of the night if any cows in the maternity barn look as if they may calve.

The other night he had to assist a cow during a birth as the calf was presented coming backwards.

This is always a problem as the process is slower and the umbilical cord breaks before the calf's head appears.

Once the cord breaks the calf will take a breath, but as it is still in the birth canal it will take fluid into its lungs. If when a cow is calving it is noticed that the hind feet have appeared first, Ian will have to help the cow deliver her calf as quickly as possible, to give the calf the best chance of survival.

The cow Ian helped the other night is called Esther. She was one of the cows we imported from Holland six years ago. After Ian had helped Esther to give birth to a Friesian/Holstein heifer calf, he was suspicious that she may be having twins.

After checking he decided that she was only having a single, so went back to the dairy to get her a warm rehydrating drink.

When he got back to the maternity barn another water bag was showing, following which he delivered Esther's second calf, but unfortunately this one was a bull.

It is usually the case in bovines that the heifer in a mixed set on twins is sterile, being known as a free martin. I am, however, pleased to report that both mother and twins are doing well.

Esther is now eight years old, has milked through six lactations, giving an average yield of 9,308 litres per lactation. She has only two daughters in the herd, one has just had her second calf, the other is due to have her first calf soon.

On Stowell Farm Kevin has just had a FABBL (Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb) audit.

This audit allows farmers to demonstrate how husbandry and welfare on their farms meets nationally agreed levels of best practice.

This gives an assurance to consumers that products are safe and traceable. Abattoirs and retailers increasingly specify beef and lamb must be from assured farms. The standard also covers environmental protection, medicine use and feed. The inspector doing Kevin's audit took a close look at the sheep, beef cattle, storage of feed and medicines and checked all records including movement and traceability of all livestock.

During the week Richard and I attended the AGM and supper of the Marlborough Downs Nature Enhancement Partnership (MDNEP), as it is now known. This three-year funded, farmer-led project has been taking a look during the past year as to how it can continue to function now that the original funding source has been stopped.

Dr Emma Batten, her team and all the farmers in the MDNEP are determined to keep the project going and have managed to find some funding for next year to continue the valuable work carried out in the area.

During the past year many events have been held including dawn chorus, butterfly and bat walks. Some kissing gates have been installed and stone curlews ringed, as the result of a successful breeding programme.

During the evening two speakers gave presentations, one from Richard Cripps on the planting up of dew ponds, the other given by Alaistair Leake from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) on the Allerton Project. Next week I will tell you a little about these two presentations.