Farming News – January 2024

We are now entering the coldest quarter of the year, with the sun low in the sky and few hours of daylight. By the end of the month the nights will be drawing out. An old saying states: ‘as the days get longer, the cold gets stronger’. This is a month for getting odd jobs done whilst trying to stay warm, in the workshop or the lambing shed. Yes, the sheep should start lambing around the middle of this month and the cycle of life should start another rotation. The annual sheep census has been completed, yet another legal requisite for those who keep sheep.

We managed to pick a few potatoes on 21 December, but they have suffered badly by being left in the ground because of the autumnal flooding, and the heavy frosts at the end of November have taken a great toll upon the remaining crop. It may be that the third of the crop which didn’t get picked before the rains came are not worth picking when the fields do finally dry up.