As January flies by, and the snow disappeared, the farm is awakening, mainly good stuff, but how invasive are Blackberries?? I am shocked by the growth over winter and now they are busy running! across the garden and orchard, so busy digging them out whilst the ground is still so wet.

Our chickens love the lengthening daylight and are in full production, we are opening up selected garden areas for them to scratch and eat in. We spend a lot of time ensuring the birds have rotational pasture areas, to keep the egg quality up.

We saw massive disruptions in the bagged feed supply at the start of the year and are thankful that if no feed got through, all the animals on this farm can survive healthily on what nature supplies alongside the hay supply, which, touchwood is still ok!

Imagine how feed disruption would affect those huge commercial farms,that lets face it supply the majority of the population with eggs and meat, no food arriving, would quickly cause massive death

We unloaded another load of alfalfa and timothy late last week and are waiting to see the hay test results. Our straw supply though has dried up, so for now rely on the bagged straw we have.

One thing is certain in 2022, I won’t take anything for granted, the way we have been used to.

I will thank everyone who interacts in our lives, for working hard to be there at the store, gas station, truckers, farmers, feed mills, vets, ferry workers and teachers, we now know, not to take ANYTHING for granted. Maybe it will lead to a kinder and more compassionate society? That said, I will drop off more eggs at The Sidney Food bank again this week.