September 2016

Diary

Festival prep; Peas; Pears; Apples; Poultry; Cattle

Wednesday 7 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 9:10am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 29th August

There was a slightly autumnal feel this morning but my, did it brighten up into a glorious day.

Moved the sheep and cattle to fresh paddocks and put a mineral lick in for the sheep.

There’s another Sasso with a bad leg so he’s isolated, as he was being bullied. We’ll have to cull him in the next 48 hours though.

Dan pruned the espalier pears in the vegetable garden. They've got a bit of fireblight damage but should be strong enough to overcome it with judicious pruning. A good crop in prospect this year.

Harvest; Farmers Market; Festival; Sore throat

Tuesday 13 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 7:45am in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 5^th September

Paperwork day and it’s no very warm. Too early for the central heating but definitely considering lighting the stove.

Tuesday 6^th September

Yesterday I was thinking about lighting the stove; today it’s sweltering. All the animals are pechin’; poor Smokey’s sides are heaving. It’s looked really stormy but it’s come to nothing.

More Festival stuff today – all P&W and livestock entries in the spreadsheets ready to go in the catalogue.

Abattoir arrangements; Path; Sasso processing; Festival prep

Monday 19 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 6:55pm in Smallholding 1 comment Comments closed

Monday 12th September

Another lovely day. We’re having a real Indian summer.

Got the tup lambs and cull ewes booked in to the abattoir for the last week in September – just need the butcher to confirm now. I want to take the lambskins to Skyeskyns when we go to Skye on holiday, so timing was crucial.

Tuesday 13th September

John’s started the last section of path. It will be lovely when it’s finished.

SSE tree cutting; Scottish Smallholder Festival

Monday 26 September, 2016

by Rosemary at 7:04pm in Smallholding Comments closed

Monday 19th September

Had a visit from the Scottish and Southern Electricity tree-cutting supervisor today. They are coming tomorrow to cut back some of our trees that are fouling the power lines. These are mainly beeches that have been allowed to grow up through the beech hedge that bounds the southeast side of the vegetable garden and the orchard.

The trees have to be taken back to at least 1m below the lines but we’ve asked for them to be taken down to hedge level. We’re having some of the big timber for firewood and a couple of loads of chips and the rest of the chips are going to friends with a smallholding nearby.