Is that Grass Growing Yet?

Despite the wind and rain it feels mild. I cannot help but think that the grass should be growing it looks so green in some fields, but a quick look at the gauge on our soil thermometer soon dampens my anticipation. Regrettably the warmth I feel while working outside has not transmitted down to the earth and I have not seen anything close to the six or seven degrees centigrade required for the grass to grow.

Thankfully that bit of snow we had came and went rapidly without causing any livestock or travel challenges. Sledging opportunities were likely to have been limited for the kids mind you…

Kirsty Brown from the National Park signed off the rebuilt 130 metres of dry stone wall, so the next project is… well, to build a dry stone wall. This is a shorter length, with a new drain underneath it. The drain is essential to prevent water running off the top of the pasture, eroding the soil as it goes.

It is funny how quickly I have come to realise how essential the soil is to any form of farming. I long since stopped thinking that I produce lamb. Now I know that I have to maintain the best soil health possible so I can in turn produce nutritious grass. I am a grass farmer, simple. After that, it is down to the choice of animal/breed that can survive the conditions.

Which leads me nicely into moles… They have been busy wrecking pasture more so than I have seen before. So I have begun the annual game of controlling the monsters before they multiply. I avoid placing the traps in fields where the sheep are grazing. When the traps stop catching typical farmer cynicism tells me the moles are hiding under the ewes feet!

Our farm system (for the sheep at least) is grass based. So the plan is for the ewes to stay out all year, rotating through fields with a good cover of grass and low parasite burden. Clearly in winter that becomes a challenge. The solution is All Grass Wintering, a recognised technique using electric fences to keep stock from roaming at will (and eating

the best bits just like people would), controlling the rate the crop is eaten. We mix the grass with stored forage (hay) provided in metal racks and hope to successfully manage each animals’ body condition through to lambing in May. Clearly, when the girls are eating for two (or three) they need a balanced diet that meets their energy needs. How effective our system is here on the Moors comes right back around to choice of breed. Our native Whitefaced Woodland’s have a reputation for thriving on poor ground. That said, I will be happy when the grass starts to grow again.

Originally written for and published in the Esk Valley News, March 2014 issue.

http://www.eskvalleynews.co.uk/