Growing potatoes at Holt Farm

We have organic potatoes growing at Holt Farm. The lifting equipment has all been serviced and any worn parts replaced and the first order for potatoes has been loaded off the farm. Take a look at the harvester in action with the holiday cottages in the background.
Another short clip is taken from the tractor cab so a much closer view.


At Holt Farm we have been busy with guests arriving and leaving the cottages. It is our privilege to welcome visitors from all over the UK, and recently we have had folks from France Belgium and Australia.
Many of the visitors come to walk the really good local footpaths here in the Welsh Borders and some do such long walks that I feel tired listening as they recount their journey. Some climb the Black Mountains near by whilst others head off to the Brecon Beacons for more demanding hikes. [See www.herefordholidays.co.uk/activities.php for downloadable local walks]



Some folk enjoy looking at the local castles, cathedrals and historic churches.
Many visitors enjoy the peace and tranquility of the Escley valley, sitting out in the sun drinking coffee and reading the paper.
All of our visitors enjoy a trip to Hay on Wye with it's old castle and numerous book shops. It also has a good selection of cafes and pubs.
We are very fortunate to live in such an area and talking to our visitors reminds us that we should be more grateful for the place we call home.

Hay making

Earlier this week our son Jon took advantage of the weather and made some small bale hay. As he is an agricultural contractor he has modern well maintained machinery and the bales are collected in the field, lifted onto large trailers,and unloaded in the barn without being man handled. The harvested fields were down by the brook at Rhydunnog Farm.


This is a very civilised way of doing things and a big advance on the way we made hay in the years after baling hay became popular in the nineteen fifties. Some people will regret the loss of friendship and banter that was involved with the old system alongside the hard graft. As farmers we have to adapt to new technology and make sure that our business is competitive in a changing world.
One of the advantages of hay making as compared to silage is that no plastic wrapping is required. The plastic is expensive and we have to pay disposal costs. The plastic is an evironmental nightmare, as it finds its way into streams and rivers. The big blessing of silage making is that it has made harvesting grass possible when the weather has not been dry and sunny enough to make hay.