A Change Of Scenery

Frosty morn in Michaelchurch Escley

Holt Farm - winter view

I am very conscious that the previous blog was written on one of the few sunny days we had this last summer.
The practical work on the Higher Level Stewardship Scheme progressed well until I had a couple of months off work with a back problem.
Now we have completed the fencing and gate hanging at Holt Farm and all the newly planted apple trees in the small orchards are thriving. The land has been water logged much of the time so we used a tracked digger to assist with the fencing work. This was an invaluable machine as it minimised damage to the pasture and kept us in a safe working environment.
Last year I spent a lot of time watering newly planted hedges and apple trees  but this year that has certainly not been a problem.
Our field of wheat was combined in September,and we managed to harvest the grain without needing to dry it. The yield was much below our normal expectations.
Potatoes were finally lifted in November. Conditions were difficult and because the soil had been cold and wet for the whole growing season the tonnage was well down.
On a positive note we were able to grow lots of grass, so the grazing animals have been well fed and the stocks of hay are good too.
This morning I have been up to Holt Farm where an oil fired boiler needed some urgent repairs. Although it was raining there was a lot of sheet ice under the water running off the roads. Driving conditions were treacherous and walking around was a dangerous activity.
Repairs were completed efficiently and now the rain is melting the ice layer away so travelling will be easier for the guests coming in to the cottages this evening. We wish you all a very happy and relaxed Christmas and New Year.

Sunshine at last!

Finally we do seem to have some summer weather and we will all feel better with the warmth and vitamin D top up. Our guests at Holt Farm will be pleased with the improved conditions for walking, sightseeing and play for the children.

On the farm we are busy making hay and Jon our son is using his machinery on the neighbours farm to make silage. Grass quality will not be great in the conserved crops as ideally it should have been  cut in the leafy stage. This year there are a lot of seed heads and the bottom of the crop is all brown where the grass has deteriorated from too much wet weather.

The high fibre content of the harvested crop will lead to poorer animal performance, so less milk from lactating animals and less weight gain for growing animals. In an ideal world our crops would have been harvested in mid June. We farm on clay soils and travelling with harvesting machinery was not possible until this weekend without damage to the grassland.

We have been able to continue with some fencing at Holt Farm using a tracked machine and ageing human muscle to carry materials and equipment.  The project has to be completed by the end of September so hopefully the weather will be more settled. Dry conditions under foot and over head make the work environment much safer especially on the steep slopes where we are erecting the fences.

A Summer walk near Holt Farm

Christopher Cadbury Reserve Michaelchurch Escley May 2012 

Once again our farming activities have been affected by the unusual weather in recent months.
Unfortunately potatoes planted in the earlier dry spell were then overtaken by persistent wet weather and low soil temperatures which meant a total crop failure in two fields. We are now impatiently waiting for the soil to dry out enough to replant those two fields.

Although the holiday cottages at Holt Farm are within easy walking distance of the Christopher Cadbury Reserve I have only recently become fully aware of the significance of this land which was purchased in1993 with generous assistance from Mr J C Cadbury, the Herefordshire Conservation Development Trust and the Four Winds Trust.

The reserve has a rich flora,and is typical of ancient unimproved grassland, 160 species have been recorded.
Currently the reserve is managed as a traditional hay meadow with an annual hay crop being taken about the fifteenth of July. This allows the many meadow plants to set seed. The land is then grazed by sheep and cattle until the end of November. Once over the locked gate, anyone can walk through the reserve. Details of the reserve can be found on the internet and see the information board in the photo below.

Cadbury Reserve information board

The apple trees we planted last year have been in blossom and are thriving. Last year we had to water them for several weeks but that has not been necessary this year. The lawns at Holt Farm have been growing quickly. We look forward to some sunshine which may be a possibility now the Hay Literary Festival is drawing to a close.

Walking in the Black Mountains of the Welsh border

So far in 2012 we have taken some tome out to do several local walks, mostly on the nearby Black Mountains which are the border between Wales and England and also Offa's Dyke path.

On New Years Day we did a wet and windy walk from the Cat's Back car park over to the Hay Bluff car park. It was a good bracing walk and we were glad of the exercise after the feasts of Christmas time!



We have also walked up the Skirrid Mountain with several members of the family from the oldest to the youngest, which we completed in much better weather conditions. There were great views of the Sugar Loaf [next on our list of walks!] and of Abergavenny at dusk.



This is a more recent photograph of the Cat's Back in late February.




We are fortunate to live in an area of such outstanding natural beauty and have decided to enjoy the walking on a regular basis.

Stewardship Work at Holt Farm

Last week we were very busy with tree felling in the dingles (wooded stream banks) at Holt Farm. We have cut down about two hundred trees adjacent to the water course which will let in the light so that grass can be established on the stream bank. This will help prevent soil erosion.
The felling has been selective and we have retained mature oak, ash and holly trees. A Felling License was required to complete these activities.

After we have cleaned up all the tree branches and sawn out the fire wood we will embark on a fencing programme to stop farm animals having access to the freshly cleared areas.

The weather has been ideal providing us with safe working conditions. The land has been dry enough to travel across without causing much surface damage or compaction. Timing of this activity is important as we needed to complete the work before the birds begin their nest building.

We have taken some time out too, for a few local walks in the beautiful Black Mountains near Holt Farm, see our next blog........

Reducing our Fossil Fuels Dependancy at Holt Farm Cottages

We have been looking at ways to reduce our dependency of fossil fuels.

For various reasons we think that solar panels generating electricity suit our requirements at Holt Farm quite well. The perfect installation site appears to be the Wain House roof [in the foreground of this picture of Holt Farm ] creating enough energy for all four cottages.



At the moment we are gathering together the final bits of information before submitting the listed building consent forms. We were under the impression that this type of panel in a domestic situation was allowed under "permitted developments" from a planning point of view. How wrong we were, we definitely require listed building consent and some of the planners are quite insistent that we need to submit a full planning application.



Since we made our initial enquiries some months ago the Feed In Tariffs have been considerably reduced which reduces the financial rewards. As the panel market experiences a decline in demand it seems likely that the initial cost of the panels will be subject to a considerable reduction. It would seem that high oil prices are here to stay and if the last fifteen months are any guideline the cost of electricity will keep increasing too. So it's still all go on this project.

[Pictures from D Cosford 5dEnergy]

We have also investigated a more substantial investment on Rhydunnog farm where our son Jon runs a three phase cold store using a diesel powered generator. The biggest stumbling block in that case is the cost of bringing in a three phase power supply with lines of adequate size to export any power generated and not required on the farm. The quote from Western Power Distribution was about fifty per cent greater than my expectations!

In time we will report on any progress but that will not be very soon!

A good year for young wild life.

Driving up the track to Holt Farm holiday cottages we see lots of young rabbits and grey squirrels at the moment. Also we have had another visitor and we thank our guests who took the photograph.



The fox is not yet fully grown and seems to have little fear of human beings. She seems to enjoy basking in the sunlight.



This year we had very late hatches of swallows in our farm buildings at Rhydunnog and the young birds only left the nest at the end of September. They will need to grow strong quickly for their migratory flight.

In west Herefordshire we have had several months of low rainfall. Some of the local farmers are struggling for water for their households and their animals. Springs that have never failed previously are now dry. The spring at Holt Farm is very good so we have no concerns about water supply for the holiday cottages or the livestock, like these beautiful Hereford heifers.



Thanks David and family for the photos.

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.

Fencing in Cu Bunt.

Here on the Welsh border extremities of Herefordshire many of the farms and even the field names are of Welsh origins. Often the Welsh spelling has been lost over the centuries and the pronunciation is probably inaccurate too.

We have been working on a small old orchard called Cu Bunt which is part of Rockfield, near the Escley brook. The horse flies have been very active the last few days, and even though they are not speedy insects they always seem to bite when both hands are busy with the fencing tools!

We have now nearly completed fencing off the stream with steep sides (locally known as a dingle).

The recent rain has made the job of putting in the fence stakes easier, but the steep slopes make for physically demanding days.

I have taken a few photographs to show the areas of bare soil caused by shading from the large trees, and the effects of sheep constantly roaming the areas with no grass. By coppicing the trees and fencing out the livestock we should get grass growth on the bare areas and this will reduce soil particle loss into the streams.

Hopefully we will have photographs in a few months to prove that all the work has been worthwhile.

Soon we will move up to the small orchard at Holt Farm to do some fencing there. Again the land will be undulating but we may see some visitors on the footpath or at the cottages to create "rest periods".

Still more rain please.....but not during Hay Festival

We have been busy fencing along side newly planted hedges. Thank fully all the work planting and watering hedge plants and newly established apple trees seems to have paid off and the survival rate has been very good. I am waiting for tree stakes to arrive in Hay-on-Wye and as soon as they arrive we will stake and guard the apple trees. We have protected them with temporary spiral guards to ward off the rabbits and other creatures that like to eat the tender bark on young trees.

Yesterday we finished fencing off one of the bird-seed plots at Holt Farm, despite a poor initial germination the mixture of seed bearing plants is now thriving. The footpath leading up to the western ridge behind the farm passes the bird seed plot. At the moment it is highly visible for great distances as it includes oil seed rape that has bright yellow flowers.

Erecting the sheep and cattle proof fences is a time consuming job as the fence lines weave alongside the historic hedgerows and natural stream banks. The terrain is undulating and in places access is difficult so we are able to complete less meters in a day than we would on lowland sites.

As a result of the minimal rainfall for several weeks the soil has compacted and the posts take much more effort to drive them into the ground. A positive of the dry spell is that we are able to drive machinery over the land without doing any damage and we are able to work without getting plastered in mud.

The Herefordshire/Welsh Border upland country is looking fantastic at the moment with hedgerows in blossom, orchard blossom and all the magnificent green shades of foliage as different species of plant and tree reach the peak of spring growth.

Next weekend our visitors for the Hay Literary Festival will arrive, hopefully the windy weather will die down and everyone will be able to enjoy all the events that the Festival has to offer.

A Drop More Rain Please !

Over recent weeks we have planted several thousand new hedge plants and quite a few new cider apple trees in our mission to replenish the old orchards. Since the planting occurred we have had no rain until last night when we had 5mm .We have been watering all the plants daily with a small bowser so we have succeeded in keeping most of the plants alive.

All the hedging plants have spiral protection, but we left the young trees unprotected for a few days and the rabbits were grateful of the opportunity to enhance their diet by chewing the bark. We quickly spiralled the trees until some tree guards arrive and stakes from Hay & Brecon Farmers.

The next job is to erect new fences to protect the hedging plants against farm livestock. As the land is undulating and the existing hedgerows far from straight, it will be a time consuming job. A drop more rain will help us enormously!

Meanwhile our April holiday guests have been enjoying Bluebell walks so we've taken a few shots in the orchard alongside the drive at Holt Farm cottages.

Fun and Games in the Christmas Snow!

Christmas was truly white as snow can be this year! Our intrepid guests were not put off by our mentions of snow and bravely headed for the Herefordshire hills with excitement! Before reaching Holt Farm we met up at the Crown Inn and discussed tactics and escorted guests along the long lane to the cottage carparks. In some cases there was much exercise needed to get the slipping and sliding cars to the door so the week worth of provisions could be off loaded! A word to any car manufacturers reading this blog - please put towing eyes in the glove box and not under a weeks supply of festive provisions!

Once safely indoors guests were not disappointed - a week snowed up in a cosy 4 star Barn with underfloor heating and a wood burner, plus fields and hills to walk off any festive overindulgence before racing back indoors to cook up another feast! The photos from our guests are proof indeed of the glorious scenery.

Sheep out, Guests in!!

After much thought,debate and planning the new cattle grid was installed at Holt Farm on the day that the snow arrived. We have put the grid above a new concrete channel through which the stream now flows. In extreme weather conditions the track to the farm will no longer flood. Along side the grid we have a new pedestrian walk way so humans can still walk the footpath but the sheep will be excluded from the cottage lawns and gardens.



Snow and ice have provided some challenges but all our guests have got to the cottages and have managed to return home after their vacation. The 23 girls from Cardiff who stayed that first snowy weekend were surprised by our weather as Cardiff at that stage had very little snow.

Congratulations to all of you who made the trips, I am sure that you will remember the very special times you shared walking through the snow, taking great photographs of the landscape and each other in the snow, and keeping warm by the cosy log fire in the cottages. Here are a couple of our photos.

Escape to Brecon

Ruth here again! We managed to escape for a day to taste and see Brecon and the glorious Brecon Beacons. We live so near and needed to remind ourselves of all that is on offer for our guests visiting this area. On the 40 minute drive from Holt Farm you get a great view of Hay Bluff and Lord Hereford's Knob which hide the entrance to the Gospel Pass running down to Llanthony Abbey. Before you approach Brecon the Beacons stand out for miles. We took a tour of the area north of Brecon to hunt out where Gordon's father had lived as a youngster and came upon these fabulous views below! The Mountain Centre just south of the town offers more panoramic views from the Information Centre and Cafe. After a delicious lunch we headed home taking in a view of the canal. If time had allowed we might even have put the walking boots on and tackled Pen Y Fan!

Environmental scheme gets green light.

On Wednesday we had a meeting with our Natural England advisor and as a result we have clarified the problem issues so now will be able to proceed with our programme of work to improve the wildlife environment on the land we farm.

The fact that we farm the land organically , are in an upland area and have a higher level stewardship scheme means that to co-ordinate the demands of all three schemes has required some very specialised advice.

It will be good to actually start the practical part of the project. We shall soon be planting the plots of wild bird seeds give lots of winter feed.

Meanwhile, down on the farm these are our new arrivals.

Organic future?

All businesses have to re-evaluate their progress on a regular basis.
We have farmed the land as fully organic since the mid nineties but we are having doubts as to the viability of remaining as fully registered organic farmers when we need to renew our annual certification next year.
The certification process requires detailed and accurate records of all farming activities and as I get older I feel the record keeping becomes more of a burden. The annual renewal of certification costs money too!
When the U.K. economy was in borrow and spend mode the demand for organic produce was growing consistently. Now that the harsh realities of a much tougher economic situation have become apparent then the demand for organic produce has declined significantly. On our own farm this has resulted in most of the beef cattle being sold into the conventional farm market.The same is true of organic pigs, but we still have a few sows, even a new litter of piglets this week! The organic potato market has shrunk and the big yields of potatoes harvested last year have resulted in organic potatoes that are surplus to requirements.
One of our main customers was a company manrketing boxes of organic produce direct to the customer. Unfortunately their claims to look after their suppliers have proved to be without substance and they have not met their commitments when we have grown potatoes specifically for their market. Their claims that they keep their suppliers well informed and treat them with respect cannot be believed when they cannot return telephone calls.
It would seem to be rather foolish to continue running the farm to produce products with declining market share. Any business consultants would advise us to cease unprofitable activities and concentrate our efforts on aspects of the enterprise that are profitable.
We have about nine months to work out a future strategy for the farm, maybe we will continue to farm as we do now, but without being part of the "organic" brand. We will soon be sowing some of the wild flower and grass strips alongside the Escley brook. These help create greater diversity for wildlife and a physical barrier to stop soil erosion off cultivated slopes. We shall also be planting some areas of wild bird seed mixture which next winter and spring should help provide a valuable food supply for the wild birds. The target species are the Yellow Hammer, Corn Bunting and Linnet.

The birds and the bees !

The swallows arrived a couple of weeks ago, they live mainly on the insect life around the farm and I suspect that they will be struggling for food as the night temperatures are still very low and we do not see many insects for this time of year. There are lots of birds actively making nests,one very smmall bird is nesting in the edge of the slate roof above our bedroom,the nesting frenzy seems to be over and now they are quietly sitting on their eggs. The pheasants are wandering around in pairs and if they are on the country lanes they seem to have a total disregard for their own safety.The males are resplendant in their spring plumage and the poor females look very dowdy, a definite case for the inequality tribunal!

It must be getting warmer as we have had a couple of very large bumble bees buzzing around in the house windows recently.I like to carefully usher them back into the great outdoors.They always seem so cumbersome in flight.

Yesterday I saw a pair of large adult hares tying to hide themselves in a field that has been recently grazed by a large number of sheep.After a while they spotted me and loped off to the nearest hedgerow for cover. The hare population is very low in this area so we only spot them occassionaly.

We had our annual organic inspection on Friday so last week was spent assembling most of the required data. As usual ther were a few areas where our preparation was inadequate,and we now have thirty days to provide the further information that was requested..The inspection was very thorough as it should be and the inspector was a very competent gentleman.

Spring at last !

Finally we have a crowd of daffodils flowering at Holt Farm Holiday Cottages and up the access track from the council road we have primroses in bloom on the hedge bank.
Down below the track in the old orchard we have a profusion of wild flowers with dandelions, celandines and sorrel all in flower.
I have been enjoying the sunny days (although the wind has been cold)and spring cleaning around the farm. I have been tidying up the fallen limbs and branches from the trees damaged by the winter winds.This job needs doing before the grass grows and covers up the timber.We shed store it in old potato boxes and then cut it up ready for the woodburners next winter.The wood needs to be removed so that it does not damage any hay making machinery once the grass is ready to mow and preserve as hay or silage to feed the animals next winter.Even though the winter feels as if it has just ended the farming cycle makes us plan for next winter.


Another pressing job has been fencing repairs on our boundaries. With a hard winter and delayed spring the sheep have been keen to expand their diet by raiding our pastures. I have been replacing some wire netting fences which are in steep sided dingles. A dingle has a stream in the bottom of the gulley and the sides usually have some smaller trees such as hazel, willow and blackthorn growing up the steep sides. Often it is not possible to get machinery close enough to push the stakes and posts into the ground. The alternative to mechanisation is to get the oldest member of staff to do the work by hand! It is physically demanding as all the materials and tools have to be lugged down the steep slopes which can be very slippery on our clay soils when the weather is damp.
The holiday cottages have been very busy and the guests have certainly enjoyed the sunny days. Our Australian based family have enjoyed meeting with their U.K. based relations and climbing the field behind the cottages to the top of the ridge and looking to the Black Mountains, the Malvern Hills and Clee Hills. On a clear day it is possible to see the waters of the Severn estuary glinting in the sun. Quite a contrast to Bondi beach, but I felt quite jealous when I talked to them about the booking back in the bleak winter days and they were having marvellous sunny days.

We've got a Winner!

Ruth has taken over the Blog for this edition. During the few months we have been asking our Holt Farm guests to complete a Feedback Form. Many guests did just that and we have had great ideas and comments as we seek to give you the best holiday ever! Each entry was put in a draw to win a weekend for 2 in Holt Stable.
Now we have held the draw to select a winner. Christine Hope [above with Ruth] as the Chair of our local Golden Valley and Black Mountains tourism group drew the winner at her shop, Hope's of Longtown.
The winner is Carolyn Hill from Birmingham. Our thanks go to all who have helped us by completing the feedback form. We will be contacting each one of you this week with a special offer.