Time to sow?

Ambitious ploughing societies have reminded me of annual matches to take place shortly - the Llandygwydd YFC event near Cardigan on February 24 and the St. Davids match a day later.

Rain makes grain right?  But when it’s time to work the soil you can have too much moisture - it has not proved possible to recover some straw left after the combine harvester from some fields even last week.

Too much water can mean a few things. A tractor could get stuck. That’s way too much moisture. Wet soils compact easier, and we don’t want to force paths for roots and water to close. Those pockets are where roots and shoots find their way around. Too wet often means to cool as well.  

If we have seeds sitting in cold, wet soil for very long some of them will begin to rot or invite disease. Soil that’s too wet also can keep the planter from closing the seed trench back over the seeds, leading to poor seed to soil contact which is very important for germination.

What is just right? A touch dry on top with moisture in the profile where seed will be placed.

Not enough moisture isn’t good either. The farmer doesn’t have a system of numbers or charts to tell us when the soil moisture is right for planting. This is a boots in the field and hands touching soil type of operation. Like any other task, after time, you just get a feel for what is right and what is not.  

I’m reminded: “We want moisture in the top few inches of soil where we plant around two-inches deep.  Moist but not wet, and definitely not muddy. When tillage is used to prepare the seedbed ahead of the planter it’s important to know that the soil will begin to dry out faster. For this reason, we don’t run the field cultivator too far ahead of the planter.

We have a really fancy device for gauging soil temperatures. It’s a thermometer - pretty high tech right? We look for a minimum soil temperature of 50°F to begin the planting season. In 2017, that came a month ahead of what is normally considered prime time for planting.

Now at some point, you just have to go farm even if conditions aren’t perfect.

At the end of planting season we put everything away to where it’s 99 per cent ready to go to the field the next year. So what we are really doing each year is waiting for Mother Nature to tell us when it’s time to go. There’s no X on the calendar that tells us we are going to plant that day.”

Livestock worrying costs rise to £1.6m

As the cost of livestock worrying claims increases 67 per cent in two years and livestock worrying causes horrendous suffering to sheep and lambs, seven per cent of dog owners readily admit their pets chase farm animals

A leading rural insurer, the NFU Mutual, tells me that farmers are being urged to watch out for livestock worrying as the cost of claims has reached a record level.

New figures show that the cost of dog attacks on livestock reported to NFU Mutual rose by 67 per cent across the UK in the past two years. The total cost to the industry in 2017 is estimated at £1.6m. In the last two years costs more than quadrupled in Scotland and nearly doubled in the Midlands, while the average cost of a claim rose by over 50 per cent to nearly £1,300.

Their research1 has revealed that over 80 per cent of dog owners exercise their pets in the countryside, with over 60 per cent letting them roam off the lead. Seven per cent of owners admitted that their pets had chased livestock in the past.

With many families expected to visit the countryside during half-term and the Easter holidays, the insurer has launched a campaign urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead at all times, and for people to report out-of-control dogs to a local farmer or the police.

Stock farmer Charles Sercombe claims: “Livestock worrying and dog attacks have a massive impact on farmers, both financially and emotionally.

“Farmers look after over 70 per cent of the UK’s countryside and many public footpaths go through our land, so it’s vital that we establish measures to ensure both livestock and dogs are kept safe.

“Livestock worrying needs to be treated as a recordable crime; dog owners must be given consistent information and act accordingly, farmers must report all incidents and the police must take them seriously.

“We understand that owners must exercise their dogs, but measures need to be taken to prevent unnecessary suffering for our livestock.”

Tim Price, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, says: “As the insurer of nearly three-quarters of the UK’s farmers and many hobby farmers, we are sadly all too aware of the heartbreak and huge financial loss that dog attacks cause.

“For small farmers in particular, livestock worrying is devastating because it has a huge impact on their productivity. While insurance can cover the cost of replacing stock killed and the treatment of injured animals, there is a knock-on effect on breeding programmes that can take years to overcome.

“The number of incidents reported to NFU Mutual shows only part of the picture, as not all farmers have insurance in place to cover livestock worrying and based on claims to us, we estimate the cost to agriculture was £1.6 million last year.”

Big spenders?

Visit Wales, a division of the Welsh Assembly Government, claims that during January to September 2017, there were 75.9 million tourism day visits to Wales from the rest of the UK generating a spend of £3,298 million.

Solution

Seven retired Italian Floridian fellows were playing poker in the condo clubhouse when Guido loses $500 on a single-hand, clutches his chest, and drops dead at the table.

Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other six Italians stand up to continue playing.

At the end of the game, Giovanni looks around and asks: “So, who’s gonna’ tell his wife?”

They cut the cards. James Alfieri picks the low card and has to carry the news.

They tell James to be discreet, be gentle, don’t make a bad situation any worse.

“Discreet? I’m the most discreet person you’ll ever meet. Discretion is my middle name. Leave it to me!”

So, James goes over to the Guido’s condo and knocks on the door. The wife answers through the door and asks what he wants?

Alfieri declares: “Your husband just lost $500 in a poker game and is afraid to come home.”

“Tell him to drop dead!” yells the wife.

“I’ll go tell him,” says James.

Thought

Just because my path is different doesn’t mean I’m lost.

Quote

Difficult roads often lead to perfect destinations.