See it, change it!

The NFU is to be commended for launching its # See It- Change It # campaign - its latest initiative to improve safety and wellbeing on farms.

The campaign aims to get farmers and farm workers actively looking out for risks on farm, and using simple and cost effective ways to eliminate them.

The NFU announced the new campaign at a recent farm safety workshop, which looked to tackle stress and mental wellbeing as well as practical safety when working in agriculture, and each person attending the session was invited to select one thing they would do to improve safety and wellbeing.

A Union member told me: “It is widely acknowledged that the safety record within the farming sector needs improving, and there are simple but specific practices that we can change ourselves -whether it’s a promise to check their PTO drive shaft every week, wear a helmet every time they ride an ATV, or simply just to keep their mobile phone charged and on their person. Farmers actively looking for risks on farm and then doing something about it - stick a reminder on your fridge or simply keep it on your bedside table but use it to make one change that will improve your own wellbeing and that of the farming industry.”

He added: “It must also be noted that the mental wellbeing of farmers is just as important as physical safety. Stress and depression are among many other illnesses that can massively impact your life and work, and which we must be able to recognise when we need help.”

Dairy farmers to face major cuts?

Huge cuts in the payments for milk currently being produced in Ireland could soon affect our UK farmers just as severely, it is being feared.

If the milk price cuts imposed by Glanbia, Kerry and Lakeland dairies are replicated by other processors, the average Irish dairy farm will see 6,000 euros wiped off its yearly income.

Dairy farmers face a cut of up to £5m to their milk cheques this season, with up to 3p per litre knocked off milk prices this month alone.

In a warning shot fired ahead of peak milk production, expected in late April and early May, three Irish processors have announced cuts of between 1 p and 3 p per litre.

Warnings have been issued that the nominal cuts introduced in January could be made much worse but one group has aimed to soften the blow by suggesting that a supplementary ‘top up’ payment might be made to counteract ‘particularly challenging weather conditions.”

Coinciding with an inevitable delay in turnout to grass, poor growth and late fertiliser application, makes 2018 already look difficult and adds certainty to a costly spring.

If these latest measures spread to the UK, it would wipe £4-5,000 off milk income for the average-sized dairy farmer.

The last time milk prices fell so dramatically was in 2015, when base prices fell dramatically by 5p/litre over a six-month period.

Large stocks of skimmed milk powder sitting in EU intervention is having a significant effect on the market, according to Joe Collins managing director of the Irish Dairy Board.

Circus?

Since this is still March, it is fitting to reflect on the life and times of St. David -there is another picture of St. David and his followers - not just as monks toiling in the fields and praying in the church. They were participating in a time of great cross cultural and religious exchanging amongst Christian communities in the outposts of the Roman Empire.

We are reminded that Christianity was first introduced in Britain by the Roman occupation and developed during the 5th to 11th centuries. However, there never was a ‘Celtic Church’ as such; these Christians regarded themselves as members of the universal Church, which at that time included both Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic divisions. So the Celtic Christians were free to travel on the Continent and beyond, and share fully in the activities of local schools and monasteries.

David, who may have been born at Henfynw in Cardigan, lived during the golden age of Celtic Christianity when saints were plentiful, many of them of noble rank - kings, princes, and chieftain - who lived the monastic life, built oratories and churches, and preached the Gospel.

Professor E. G. Bowen, of Aberystwyth University believes that the whole of south-western Britain was subject to the influence of the Egyptian Church in the fifth and sixth centuries, and that the geographical situation of St. David’s main monastery would have made it a central point of diffusion of this influence: The early persecution of Christians in the Roman Provinces of Egypt and the Near East caused many there to flee to the desert. They were visited in the desert from time to time by leading Christians in the West and these, on returning home, set-up their own monasteries in imitation of those of the desert. These desert monks followed the Orthodox Christian (Coptic) church and lived lives of hardship, which may have influenced St. David to adopt the asceticism and discipline in his monastery. Archaeologists have been able to show that the lands around the Eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt, Palestine, Asia Minor and the Aegean islands were in post-Roman times in direct trade contact with south-western Britain. If traders could travel to the monasteries around the shores of south-western Britain so, too, could pilgrims, books, and ideas; so that there can be no longer any doubt that it was along these western sea-routes that full monastic life (found first of all, it would appear, in Britain at Tintagel on the north coast of Cornwall between 470 and 500 AD), arrived.

The monastic pattern spread rapidly afterwards to such sites as Llanilltyd Fawr, Nantcarban, Llandaff, Caldey, Glastonbury, St. David’s and Llanbadarn Fawr and other places in Wales before passing over to central and southern Ireland.

Activity in Pembrokeshire, particularly at St. David’s must, therefore, have been intense at this time. Here the major land and sea routes met - it must have been a veritable ‘Piccadilly Circus’ in early Christian times. (contributed).

God’s ‘ambassador’

I feel sure we were all immensely saddened to hear recent news of the death of Billy Graham - an iconic human being.

We all felt gratified that Graham, world-famous evangelist, had passed away peacefully surrounded by his family and friends according to a family spokesman addressing ABC News.

Aged 99 years at the time of his passing, he would have celebrated 100 years in November next.

Famous for helping millions find God and for his strong faith, Billy Graham was coined the name ‘God’s ambassador.’ The American evangelist was famous for his foundation, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and their sole mission was to ‘(proclaim) the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all we can by every effective means available and (to equip) the Church and others to do the same.”

Fox news reported that Graham had an audience of almost 215 million people in over 185 countries and territories around the world. He also said that his ‘one purpose’ was to ‘help people find a personal relationship with God, which, I believe, comes through knowing Christ.’

On his 99th birthday, his son, Franklin Graham, gave a health update. He said that while his father was doing well, he had many physical challenges that ‘come with his age.’

Even with his worsening health, Franklin said that Billy Graham always made time for prayer and encouragement with his pastor, Don Wilton. Now, sadly, Billy Graham has passed away.

His legacy will live on through the thousands of lives that he touched, messages that he preached, and the character that he consistently exhibited.

Logic!

A fair haired young lady orders a large pizza and is asked how would she like it cut - into eight or 12 slices?

“Oh eight,” she says promptly. “I couldn’t possibly eat 12 slices.”