Wednesday,February26,2014


Stewart Lambert and his family farm a herd of 40 suckler cows and a flock of 500 lambing sheep on 300-acrelGtriddmg Farmfnear. Kirkby Lonsdale.Aformer- school governor and youthiclub ieli,deryiStewart gives talks and provides farm visits:and demonstratjons to.educate the publicabout farmingpractices: v r";


This month, he-lQoks at;the.winter?s unpredictable and awful weather and its effects on the farm>'fivestock. _


XL*. I


:WinterGlympjcsKI do admire.the.-, athletes] especially those competing in--J the new. sports-like snowboarding and .. half pipe. ^


-"-u - t


; -v iHow doesjTeam GEltrain their.teams who. ■ .depend pifsnowTand,ice’when all we have is


i?;rain and mjjdJ Wecould be good entrant^ if bog scrambling and pond dipping were" !;]


-.Olympicsports. - *' -


HTWE.beenwatchingsome'of the Sochi-A^-^AIthough I complaipabouttbe weather, we ■ ■ ■ -


afecomparatively lucky.? ; -• •• ~ •• • ' My


]■ - on their hands] ; • :


the south ;]


west -after three monthsbfwihdand rain the] Kavebdisaster];]]


i It is their lambing .time arid. in[.normal times


A.growing'and thVweather,^ fie|asare underwateiv,spc^ofbal


- - - - ----- r — — .„ £ ItJs nearly.March, and I hayent'spre^d ^:,* ^vah_d inedible, howhe're to put^sheep'with new


^.a Ioa.cl-pf.cpv/. manure smce October. O u r^ 'tfi* born lambs and the sheep keep'.larnb'ing.' i J^CnbjPO fields have been left.empty sincesv-s^&s:.-? If the fields'arVunderwater foJ-mofe than ^Jate.-November, to freshen up,.and they dp7 S. '-look g'reen, but are too wet even forthe.quad' ^bike to travel, but the moles arestillworking 7 do they have aqualungs7


.5 ’


:7 ;.The sheep are:in two groups in'large fields/; ■ ' there is nothing much to eat, but their feed .' troughs are filled with silage daily; However,:- -after a particularly wet night, Graham : brought a very sad, muddy and cold ewe " .home,.lt had given up and laid down, it was ]


r;too covered in mud to stand and would soon: have died of hypothermia


. - We washed it with buckets of warm water- , to rapidly warm her up and to see who she ' - -


- was, and notsurpnsingly she was a Teeswater (a sheep,with a long curly fleece and a fringe -


-over its eyesj'and not noted for hardiness in ,: adverse conditions.


In a couple of hours under a heat lamp and* in front.of a fan heatershe was upend eating


,.;]and looking quite pleased with herself. I ’ haven't the heart to put her back outside. '


<six weeks; the grass dies frorn lack of oxygen;


-'-and sunlight and being covered int.mu3^;>V'ty< i-rS-vWhen^the.water does subside the land-. - ,r ■will go'green but with weed grasses-couch-


j,grass;chickweed and docks; not what you . need to fill hungry bellies]; ' .Farmers alToverthe country have'-Ai * responded, the.Young Fanners locally and ’


• nationally and the NFU are sending feed ; down to help with immediate needs, but it


.' will take years for the land to recover; ' When global warming was first discussed


• • 20 years ago we thought of warm dry ' '■ summers,-vine yards and barbecues, but now : . its dawning on farmers it means more volatile. weather patterns,’ rain and high wind.-- - -7


_ We scanned our sheep last week and had - a good re su lt-102 singles, 297 twins, 15. ' triplets and only 10 not in lamb -a ll but one ’ of the tups has worked well, and the sheep •


: have conceived and are' looking fit,'all I have . to do is see.them through lambing -


W6dn6Sday,F6bni8ry26,2014. RURAL LIFE I


Highfield Priory School and Day Nursery


Open Day


Sunday 16th March l l a m - 3p m


grandchddren the very best education that money can buy in the North West.


At Highfield Priory School, our aim is to stimulate, educate and appreciate


all that your child is and to maximise the potential of who they can be in life.


Birchall


Blackburn Law Always there ■


Our broad curriculum, specialist teachers and facilities, extensive extra­ curricular programme and competitive sports fixture list all work together to ensure that all your child’s needs are met and all their talents are discovered and developed. We recognise the hectic pace of working life and strive to give you and your children support and stability.


Our Baby Unit, Nursery, Pre-School, Infant and Junior School, Breakfast Club, Homework Club, Activities Programme and Holiday Club all work together to meet your individual requirements on a daily basis.


Call now to arrange a tour of our number one school: 01772 709624


www.highfieldpriory.co.uk


As the Number One Independent Preparatory School m


We invite you t0 Sive your children or


Fulwood Row, Fulwood, Preston, PR2 5RW


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