RICHARD and I have returned from our visit to New Zealand to what can only be described as a very busy week.

Having never flown to anywhere more than three hours' flight away our trip to the southern hemisphere has been the most wonderful experience, made even better by favourable weather.

Generally New Zealand was in a period of intense drought and there were numerous notices warning of high fire risk. We were aware of several fires during our stay, but for us the lack of rain was not a problem as we toured the islands in a camper van. With our body clocks being a little upset and the lower air temperature back home it has been quite difficult adjusting to the busy week that has just passed, but I do realise how much I have missed the green fields.

Before I continue with life back on the farm I would like to thank Melissa and Natalie for filling in for me during my absence. I have heard that they have done a great job keeping you up to date with the happenings on Manor and Stowell Farms.

Fortunately the weather on our return was not as cold as when we left, with temperatures getting into double figures and the occasional periods of rain giving us a total of 19mm during the week. Richard began his day on Monday trying to sort out the filling in of the application form in order to receive our basic farm payment. There was, however, a problem as Richard was unable to download the document even though it was supposed to be ready. We do have until May 16 to submit the application, but it is easier to do when we are not so busy.

The following day Richard replaced a broken light unit on the farm truck before our vet arrived to sedate Faithful, our Aberdeen Angus bull, who had become lame and needed some remedial treatment done on one of his hooves.

Meanwhile, Ian was applying some nitrogen fertiliser to some of our fields of winter cereals and grass to be grazed or cut. The same day I had been invited with a group of Roves Farm staff to visit the Cotswold Farm Park.

I very much enjoyed the drive on a spring-like day along the Fosse Way. I saw plenty of snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils along the way, hares playing in a field and farmers cultivating ground to be planted with spring crops.

In the afternoon Richard was interviewed by Ali Vowles, from BBC Wiltshire, on the state of the dairy industry. He basically said that we were in a period of uncertainty, with market volatility making it difficult to plan ahead.

Midweek David, our nutritionist, paid us a visit to check the rations. He suggested that we could replace a proportion of the maize silage included in the dairy cow ration with more grass silage, as we have rather a lot in store.

On the same day at Roves Farm I was guide for a class of six to seven-year-old children from Lydiard Millicent Primary School. They were very keen to know more about farm animals and had obviously been studying about farming and the countryside prior to their visit. It was a most enjoyable and rewarding day.

On Stowell Farm lambing is making good progress. About 100 ewes with their newborn lambs have been turned out into Corsham Park, with another 50 almost ready to join them. Also during the week all the remaining wethers (castrated ram lambs born last spring) have been sold as stores.

On Manor Farm the week ended with the birth of Aberdeen Angus x twins, a bull and a heifer. At the moment all our Angus calves are being sold to Matt, a local farmer, who worked for us as a student.