Peak District Farm Holidays

Dove Valley Centre celebrates it's 10th Birthday

2012-01-22T02:59:00.000-08:00

One of our fabulous self catering properties is celebrating it's 10th Birthday this year. The 2 cottages and spacious studio are set in spectacular countryside near Sheen and have been thoughtfully modernised using environmentally friendly methods and materials.

After the eco renovation of their redundant barns involving much muck, hay and farming memories, Paul and Elspeth Walker opened for holiday business in 2002. Not without some trepidation they thought - what if no one came? Who would be interested in ‘greener’ holidays?

But the Christmas and New Year periods were booked almost immediately and soon the calendar was filling. Since then, visitors have arrived from near and from California to Hong Kong, from Germany to Scandinavia - many returning each year.

Two of their first visitors got engaged there and Elspeth and Paul were invited to their wedding and later welcomed them back with their baby!

Because of their interests in art education and wildlife conservation, courses are regularly run in painting, crafts and countryside activities, many through partnerships with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, the Peak District Ranger Service and various charities. These have expanded to include annual free family events including biodiversity and Apple Days with an ever- increasing number of families participating.

With the opening of the Studio two years ago as the base for courses and events, their daughter Sarah is now increasingly involved in the business.

To help celebrate this anniversary, throughout the year new and returning visitors will receive a special welcome pack of homemade and local produce.

Get Here!

2011-12-15T02:51:00.000-08:00

"Get Here" and discover the fabulous Peak District and all it has to offer.

The emotive soundtrack was recorded by Lady Manners School Orchestra with the wonderfully talented singer Chelsea Redfern from Chesterfield, of X Factor fame. Wow, what a powerful voice, it sends a tingle down your spine!

View the amazing video of our special area for yourself. You’ll find something for everyone here in the Peak District; superb scenery, exciting activities, delicious food, fascinating attractions and a matchless wealth of history and heritage - make the most of your holidays and stay on a farm - Get here, if you can!

Quite Revolutionary

2011-12-02T04:10:00.000-08:00

They say the definition of a farmer is "a man outstanding in his field".

Peak District Farm Holiday members are all outstanding in their field and are keen to embrace modern technologies, be it utilising renewable energy, using electronic tags on cows to monitor animal health and feed rations, or submitting animal passport information on line.

Rural internet connection can often be a trial with slow download speeds, but farmers are computer savvy and whilst not pioneers, we are definitely using modern technologies to our advantage.

Our latest marketing initiative for the Peak District Farm Holiday group has been the creation of a QR code for our magazine advertising, which when zapped with a smart phone will take users direct to a short video. The video (below) is designed to give a taster of the outstanding quality holiday accommodation we offer on working farms and show the fabulous Peak District landscape in which we are fortunate enough to work.

We hope you enjoy a moment of escape to the Peak District and getting up close with the animals.

Now is a good time to think ahead and book your summer holiday for 2012.

We look forward to welcoming you to our farms so you can share our passion for the countryside.

Apple Delight!

2011-10-26T03:03:00.000-07:00

Here in the Peak District we have some wonderful opportunities to be able to work with nature; with bumper crops of apples this year The Dove Valley Centre, in partnership with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust, celebrated “Apple Day” in style with lots of exciting and tasty activities, including:

Apple tasting, identification and history

Apple Juicing- where everyone took their own apples and bottles

Meeting the owls

Appley activities for children

Tasty story telling

An excellent day of family fun!

If you would like to get closer to nature, and meet the farmyard animals then why not book one of our fabulous farmhouse B&B's or cosy self catering cottages for a short winter break? There are some wonderful winter walks from the doorstep.

We look forward to welcoming you!

Another harvesting process

2011-08-11T07:21:00.000-07:00

An alternative to grass and silage is wholecrop silage. This is where a wheat crop is harvested early whilst the grain is still soft. The entire crop, straw and all (hence the name wholecrop) is mown off, chopped into small pieces, and then carted to the farm, and stored in a large pit. The air is excluded as with grass silage using plastic sheeting which is weighed down.

The crop then ferments and produces a high protein version of silage suitable for dairy cows. This video shows the forage harvester, with special attachments for cutting, in action.

Book a holiday on one of our farms here in the Peak District to experience farm life at first hand!

Hay Making in the Peak District

2011-08-06T03:10:00.000-07:00

In the Peak District we have had some fantastic weather during July with hot dry and sunny days. This means many of us have been out making hay in the fields. Hay making involves a lot of hard work as the grass needs to be left until it is as dry as possible before it is baled up and stored inside for the winter. If it is too wet the hay becomes mouldy when it is stored and the animals won’t eat it, or it can even make them sick. With good weather conditions it usually takes up to 5 days from the grass being cut until it is ready to bale. To help the grass dry quickly we use a machine called a tedder which spreads the grass around and turns it over so the wet stuff at the bottom gets a chance to dry in the sun.

This video shows the hay being collected and made into small bales on one of our farms.

The hay bales are then loaded onto trailers either by hand or using a tractor and brought back to the farm. It is important they are all collected before it rains so they don't get wet which can mean working long into the night! Many of our farms have traditional stone buildings which have lofts where the hay can be stored safely for the winter. The downside is the bales can only be moved into them by hand, much better than going to the gym!

Traditional hay making is not as common as it used to be as round bale silage has become much more popular. This is a much quicker process as the grass only needs to dry for a day before it can be baled and wrapped in plastic. Round bales are also much larger than hay bales so they are moved with a tractor and much more can be made in a day. Cattle also prefer round bale silage as it is moist and has a higher nutritional value than hay.

Small hay bales are still very useful as they can be fed at any time of year and are also ideal to feed to young calves. Many horse owners also prefer to feed hay as it is easy to handle and doesn’t go off.

Hens Spring into action!

2011-02-15T13:30:00.000-08:00

The severe cold weather and long period of snow in Decemeber here in the Peak District meant that most of the hens on our farms stopped laying eggs. Fortunately the nights are drawing out and our free range hens are back in full production.

Here you can see some beautiful copper and silver Maran hens. Nothing delights Elspeth's grandaughter more than to feed the hens, who come running to meet her, and then to collect the dark brown eggs, still warm, from the nest box.

Come and stay on one of our farms in the beautiful Peak District countryside and experience egg collecting for yourself -

Book now for the Easter holidays !

Struggle in the snow

2010-12-12T05:11:00.000-08:00

Even in the heaviest of snow falls, the animals must be fed, and that means getting to some farms that might not be on the easiest of roads. This essential corn delivery to Bassetwood Farm, home of the Carringtons, one of our B&B farms, needed considerable help to get into the farmyard.

It's not just getting the corn in, there is then the problem of getting the fresh milk out every day! Add to that problems with frozen water pipes and tractors that won't start, and everything becomes hard work - the snow may look very pretty, but it can be a farmers worst nightmare.

Fortunately the snow now seems to be disappearing as fast as it came.

It does however give our stunning Peak District scenery a different dimension. The Peak District is very much still open for bussiness - so load up you sledge and catch a last minute pre Christmas break.

Beechenhill B&B stunning in the sparkling sunshine

Hoe Grange Holidays (below) - this self catering log cabin could be in the snowy alps!

Prize Winners!

2010-12-02T04:41:00.000-08:00

Prize Winners!

We are delighted to announce the two winners of the Peak District Farm Holidays November prize draw who will receive theatre vouchers for Buxton Opera House:

Zan Jackson from Stoke on Trent and Janet Watson from Cheshire

Both winners will be able to choose from a selection of performances - we hope they have an enjoyable evening and would like to thank the Buxton Opera House for their support in our promotion - for performance details see www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

Meanwhile the Peak District is under several feet of snow and today there are more fluffy white flakes drifting down from the grey skies - there will be no guests on holiday this weekend unless they arrive on skies!

The extreme conditions do make if difficult looking after all our farm animals, making sure they have water and food takes most of the day. The free range hens haven't ventured out of their coop for 2 days and have gone off laying eggs - can you blame them!

Spookyshire

2010-10-16T06:41:00.000-07:00

As the nights draw in prepare for some spooky fun at a number of events happening across the Peak District. From Candle lit Ghost walks where you will hear terrifying tales of ghoulish goings on, to bat walks and pumpkin parties.

For lots more information about events happening around the Peak District please click on this link about Spookyshire.

Horses in Harmony

2010-10-12T14:01:00.000-07:00

We thought you would like to see what one of our Peak District Farm Holidays members has been up to this summer. Liz Andrews from Northfield Farm and Trekking Centre showed her three magnificant Andalusian mares as a 'cobra' at the National breed show.

I am sure you will agree that they are absolutely stunning and they received a well deserved second place in the Cobra class at the UK National breed show for PRE's (Andalusian's). The collars and bells stem from when the horses are turned out in herds on the large estates in Spain.

This method of showing mares is unique to Spain and the idea is to have 3 identical in size, type and colour all walking, trotting and turning in harmony with their foals running loose - not as easy as it sounds! They say never work with animals. To get one horse to behave beautifully is difficult enough, but to work with six is a major achievment! I am sure it has taken Liz many hours of training and preparation to get them to such a high standard.

Congratulations!

Summer Silaging

2010-08-19T07:57:00.000-07:00

The weather has been strange this year with a very dry Spring followed by a moderate August with little very hot sunshine, but still not much rain. Our cattle are enjoying the warmth, but the traditional stone lined dew ponds on many of the upland farms are nearly dry, and as low as we have seen them for many years.

The amount of grass on our fields throughout the Peak District has therefore been much less than usual and there may be a shortage of cattle fodder this winter. However we have harvested what we can and you can see our video of how one of our members got on baling and wrapping his silage crop in the White Peak area.

Barn Owl Ringing

2010-07-28T13:37:00.000-07:00

One of our Peak District Holidays group members has spent several years working with Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Barn Owl Group, encouraging barn owls to settle at their farm in the Upper Dove. Elspeth sent this fabulous photo for the blog.

"Although we had seen an owl flying in the late evening through most of last Summer and Autumn, during the bitter cold and snow of the winter we saw not a trace of this pale golden bird. How could it have survived the winter?

But great news - the Barn owl group came in late Spring to check the boxes and found four well grown chicks. They came back later and ringed the birds and we had the privilege of getting close up to these beautiful chicks whose pretty heart shaped faces belies their fearsome talons".

Quite a few of our Peak District Farms who offer accommodation have Barn Owls and a wide range of wildlife. If you are a keen bird watcher why not stay with us in the countryside, bring your binoculars and see for yourself?

Prize Winners!

2010-07-21T04:33:00.000-07:00

We are delighted to announce the two winners of the Peak District Farm Holidays July prize draw who will receive theatre vouchers for Buxton Opera House:

Mrs Dickinson from Matlock and Mrs Collins from Lutterworth

Our winners will be able to choose from a selection of performances - we hope they have an enjoyable evening and would like to thank the Buxton Opera House for their support in our promotion - for performance details see www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk

If you would like to enter our November prize draw download our new brochure and complete an entry form or telephone Felicity on 01629 540262 to request a hard copy in the post.

New Peak District Farm Holidays Brochure

2010-07-21T04:06:00.001-07:00

We are delighted to announce the launch of our new Peak District Farm Holidays brochure created in conjunction with the Peak District Food Group. The new brochure provides a wealth of information, not just on places to stay, but also on places to eat, and where to buy delcious local and specialist foods.

All this with an area map showing visitor attractions and local businesses - an invaluable guide both before and during your stay in the Peak Distrct. You can either download a copy from our website or contact Felicity on 01629 540262 to request a hard copy by post.

Helpful tips to stay safe when walking through fields of cattle.

2010-03-26T04:04:00.000-07:00

It is the time of year when young calves and their mothers are let out into the fields across the Peak District. As farmers we want you to come and enjoy the countryside and the best way of seeing it is to take a walk. Sadly several people every year in the UK are injured by cattle when out walking in the countryside and the majority of cases involve people with dogs. There were several high profile cases last year including the MP David Blunkett. Cows with calves are very protective and can be much more dangerous than Bulls.

Here are some basic safety rules to follow if you come accross any cattle which will hopefully prevent any accidents happening.

Always keep your dog on a short lead.
When entering a field of cattle always have a quick look to see where the nearest possible escape routes such as gateways, stiles or low walls are.
Be prepared for cattle to react to your presence.
Never get inbetween cows and their calves.
If the cattle are standing around the footpath it is always more sensible to leave the footpath and walk a safe distance around them. As farmers we are much more concerned for your safety than where the footpath is drawn on the map!
Look for signs of the cattle becoming agitated such as them running around, vigorous head shaking, loud snorting and pawing at the ground.
If the cattle come over to you the first thing to do is stay calm, 99 percent of the time they probably just want to take a look at you.

If you feel threatened by the cattle and think they pose a danger you should:

Calmly walk away from them towards the nearest exit point from the field, regardless of where the footpath goes.
If you have a dog you should remove it from the lead, hopefully the cattle will ignore you and only be interested in the dog allowing you to get to safety.
Never try to protect your dog from cattle, it can run much faster than you, so will be able to look after itself.
If your dog is being chased by cattle and comes to you for safety you must try and scare it away.
As a last resort if you feel you are about to be attacked by cattle you should face them, don't try to run away as they are much faster than you. Make as much noise as possible and wave your arms in the air. If you have a rucksack or walking stick use these to defend yourself and call for help.

For some more general information about the importance of keeping dogs under control there is some good advice from the Peak District National Park.

Signs of Spring

2010-03-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

This morning woken by the sound of the Thrush singing in the Ash and then shafts of sunlight pouring over Dove bank. Later, taking the dog with me down the fields she flushes out a pheasant that manages a vertical take off -

a lucky escape!

The green woodpecker is hammering at a dead oak lower down the valley, great tits are singing by the Alder on the river bank. Clusters of sparkling snowdrops fringe the edge of the pond and a solitary cry of a lamb for its mother, add to the thought that at last Spring must nearly be here.

With Spring comes newborn lambs - a fabulous time of year to visit our varied working farms and experience the countryside coming back to life after the cold snowy winter - check out our availability now - from fabulous farmhouse bed and breakfast to cosy country self catering cottages there is something for everyone

Royal Shrovetide Football

2010-02-17T15:16:00.000-08:00

Can you imagine leaping into an icy cold river on a winter's day? Well that is exactly what most young men in Ashbourne have been doing today! There are many strange traditions in the Peak District, but perhaps one of the most unusual is the Royal Shrovetide Football played through the streets of Ashbourne on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.

The game was first recorded as long ago as 1682; by 1928 it had become so respectable that the Prince of Wales threw up the ball. There are two teams, "Up'ards" people born North of the River Henmore, and "Down'ards" born to the South. The ball, slightly larger than a traditional football is thrown up on Shaw Croft car park in the middle of the town at 2pm and the teams strive to get it to opposite sides of the town to the two goals which are 3 miles apart. The ball can be kicked, carried, or thrown, but generally passes along in a "hug", invisible to the spectator. An experience not for the faint hearted, but certainly a spectacle worth seeing!

To experience more of our unusual Derbyshire traditions why not come and stay with us on a farm in May and June when many of our picturesque villages display beautiful, colourful well dressings.

Peak District in the snow

2010-01-02T07:54:00.000-08:00

Its snowing here in the Peak District today, and although it's causing a few difficulties on the roads, we know that by tomorrow it will be all OK (hopefully). We never seem to get snow like we used to; as a child I remember my father and mother battling to get the milk out to the lorry, sometimes for weeks at a time. Heaving heavy churns full of milk down the road and spending hours a day transporting water back from the local ford for the animals. My mother often tells how in 1947 she was unable to get home for over 5 weeks, and how in 1958 when my sister was born it took a whole gang of men to get the midwife to the isolated farm where she had decided to give birth whist visiting her mother!

I'm glad we don't get snow like that any more, it must have been really hard, but it can be great fun if you are not trying to work in it. So get out that sledge and have some fun while the snow lasts!! You can also burn off those extra Christmas calories at the same time - visit us here in the Peak District - browse through our website there are some excellent January offers for our wonderful cosy farmhouse accommodation.

Happy New Year !

Scarecrow Mania!

2009-09-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

If you stay on holiday with one of our Peak District Farm Holidays members you will discover that The Peak District has a fascinating historical and cultural heritage. This diverse region is home to some of the country's finest stately homes, enchanting market towns and picturesque villages but also has many strange, unusual and even unique traditions and customs; from the frantic Shrovetide football played through the streets of Ashbourne, to pancake races, cheese rolling, and stunning well dressings made from colourful flowers.

One increasingly popular custom is that of Scarecrow mania which takes over small villages, such as Brassington, Kniveton, Rainow and many others. The scarecrow displays are amazingly imaginative and are often run in conjunction with the village fete, or traditional wakes or holiday week. Rainow is a relatively small village but the enthusiasm is such that this year there were 115 scarecrows dotted around the village – not just single scarecrows, but whole groups, such as the father shooting the stalk as it arrives with yet another baby!
For more pictures see http://www.macccam.co.uk/RainowKerridgeHurdsfd/Scarecrow.html

Why not book a holiday with Peak District Farm Holidays and discover our unusual and unique customs for yourself!

Sad decision at Hoe Grange

2009-06-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

A little publicised European directive to reduce the nitrate levels in ground water is causing great concern, particularly in the dairy industry. Under these new regulations, known as NVZ (Nitrogen venerable zones), farmers are required not to spread slurry between September and January. This in itself is not really a problem, but as well we are now required to have enough slurry storage for 5 months, although the closed spreading period is just 3 months. This extra unnecessary storage will cost the average dairy farmer £50,000 - £100,000, an additional cost with no prospect of additional income, so where will the extra money come from?

This extra burden was the last straw at Hoe Grange, along with yet again falling milk prices, rising costs and being fed up with working 70 hour weeks for very little reward. In July the entire dairy herd will be sold at auction, marking the end of a family enterprise of 50 + years and dairy farming at Hoe Grange for 100s of years. it is a sad fact that 30 years ago the parish of Brassington had over 20 dairy farms, but now there are less than 5!

The good news is that we will still be farming beef cattle, and are planning to expand our holiday log cabins from 2 to 4.

I hope you all like water on you cornflakes because in a few years time there won't be any dairy farms left in the UK, they will all be driven out of business by poor returns and over burdening red tape.

But Hey...... I wont be milking cows on Christmas morning.....

If you want to help those dairy farmers that remain you could sign the online Fair Trade for British Dairy Farmers Petition, which is asking retailers to:

- source British dairy products
- use transparent and stable pricing mechanisms for liquid milk and cheese suppliers that offer producers a sustainable milk price
- promote the Red Tractor logo on all own label British dairy products

go to www.farmersguardian.com

A new spring tine for Spring time!

2009-03-18T04:07:00.000-07:00

Like everything else in our modern world today, farm machinery is ever evolving and one of our Peak District Holiday farmers has replaced his traditional chain harrow with a new type of mechanically folding spring tine harrow.

For those who don't know harrowing the fields is an important Spring job to rip out the dead grass and aerate the sward, allowing the younger grass to come through quicker. It also levels out molehills, flattens uneven ground where cattle have trodden up the mud and breaks up and distributes any manure which has already been spread. It has to be done when the conditions are just right - too wet and the tractor churns up the fields leaving tyre marks and a muddy mess, too dry and the dead grass is difficult to pull out. The early Spring sunshine this week has been ideal - you will notice that the fields around the Peak District are gradually becoming beautifully stripped as the harrowing process continues. This process is then followed by rolling to level out the ground ready for the new grass to push through - very similar to raking and rolling your own domestic lawn, just on a larger scale!

The new spring tine harrow has proved a lot easier to transport from one field to another than the old chain harrows as it has folding arms, which also means that you don't get stuck in awkward corners! It is more effective as the tines grip into the ground and are more vigorous than the traditional chains. As the tines are spring like there is less breakage - chain links always seemed to be breaking on the old set of harrows and time was wasted welding them back together. It also saves time as it is wider and because it's easier to handle even on steep upland ground.

The dairy cows have also been out for the first time this year enjoying the Spring sunshine - just like us they love to be out and about when it's sunny - it's a fantastic sight to see them running up the fields, kicking their heels and gamboling about like lambs - you wouldn't believe how agile they can be for such large animals!

Gourmet Meals for cows!

2009-01-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to survive the current recession businesses have to become leaner and fitter, and reduce costs whilst increasing output. Just like any other business the same can be said of farming and to that end one of our Peak District Farm Holidays dairy producers has made a substantial investment in a new feeder wagon - yes gourmet food for cows is now on the menu!

They say that "we are what we eat" - I hope this is true of cows as well as humans. Basically this wonderful new machine is just like a giant food mixer so the cow's staple food, sileage, can be chopped and blended with other ingredients such as straw to give roughage, and molases to improve palatability. The resulting blend is easy to digest and provides a high fibre diet that increases the quality and quantity of milk produced per cow. That's the theory, let's hope it works in practice. It is early days yet, but feeding is simple and it seems to be working - we will let you know if the proof is indeed in the pudding!

Drilling for oil????

2008-11-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

The driller moved in to Hoe Grange this week, but what are they looking for? oil???

Unfortunately not, although an equally precious resource for a dairy farmer - this drill is looking for water. With the average dairy cow drinking around 100 liters of water every day our heard of 120 cows, along with 150 younger animals, gets through an awful lot of water, all of which, unless you are lucky enough to have a spring supply, has to come down a pipe and through a water meter! So with a water bill that runs into thousands of pounds a year it's time to look for an alternative, especially in the current economic climate.

Being on top of a limestone hill means that water is a long way under ground, probably somewhere between 100 and 150 metres. When the drill finally reaches water it will be tested to ensure it is clean and pure, then an electric pump will be installed at the bottom of the shaft, pumping the water to the surface. It will then be collected in a holding tank before being pumped around the farm for cattle to drink and for cleaning the buildings. If the water is of suitable quality it may be treated to reduce the hardness and used in our holiday cabins and our own home!!

So keep drilling lads, and if you do find oil by mistake I won't complain!!

Green Power in New Mills

2008-10-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce a Hydro Electric power scheme has been completed in New Mills, a town located in the North Peak District. The scheme is unique in both the design and the way it has been funded. An Archemedies screw has been installed on the site of an old water wheel which used to power a large cotton mill next to the river. The weir which dams the Goyt and Sett rivers is still standing strong, centuries after it was built. It has now been reincarnated with the help of 21st centuary technology to produce enough electricity for 70 homes in the town.

This is also one of the first communitee owned renewable energy power projects in the UK, with many local residents buying shares and supporting the scheme. The electricity produced is sold for a premium to the local Co-op store who also helped with funding. The ground breaking project has recieved lots of press coverage, one of our local papers ran this story giving details about the archeological finds the team made during construction, Buxton Advertiser.

To get more information visit the Torrs hydro Blog which has some excellent pictures and videos taken on the site during construction, and also some interesting finds including half a boat which appeared during one heavy storm! For information about how the power is generated from the Archemedies screw visit the Torrs hydro Website

Pretty flowers?

2008-07-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

We all love to see wildflowers blossoming in the meadows, bringing bright colour to the countryside in the summer months. A dominant colour at this time of year is that of the yellow ragwort flower, which may look pretty, but can be "pretty" lethal to most livestock. If cattle or horses were to eat ragwort, the poison contained in the leaves collects in the liver of the animal and over a period of time can reach a lethal dose, causing liver failure and death. Althougth the foul taste of the plant prevents animals from eating growing plants, once the plant is dying it becomes more palatable and cattle and horses have little sense and will chomp their way through large quantities. This is one of the reasons why our countryside needs to be correctly managed.

It is a difficult plant to get rid of due to it's biennial cycle and the fact that each flower produces thousands of seeds. Using chemical herbicides is an effective method of control, however the land cannot be grazed for 8 weeks until the plants have completely died off so this is not an entirely satisfactory method and certainly not organic.

An alternative, but time consuming method is to pull each individual stalk by hand, which we sometimes do at Hoe Grange much to the disgust of our children and farm workers, particularly as they have to wear fetching rubber gloves to prevent the posion passing through the skin! When faced with a 20 acre field full of yellow plants you can imagine the complaints.

By far the most effective method of control is using mother natures best secret weapon and ragwort destroyer supreme - the sheep.

They are too stupid to notice the horrible taste and even seem to prefer it to grass at times! Strangely the poison in the ragwort has no effect on them and they happily munch away till it is all gone. We got rid of our sheep a few years ago and the ragwort has become more of a problem, so we now borrow our neighbour's flock during the flowering season.

Perhaps sheep are not so stupid after all!

A Tale about Silage Making Season

2008-06-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well let me start by apologising for the lack of activity on the blog but all the group members have been too busy on their farms to get started with it! Having returned home from uni and travelling 2 years ago to work full time on our dairy farm (Shaw Farm) I have sadly reached the conclusion there is no such thing as a quiet spell on any farm, hence me sat in bed writing this at 11pm after having just finished the last of our first cut of silage.

Silage, and please let me just clear up this point, has nothing in common with either slurry or sewage as many of my friends seem to think! It's actually very similar to hay, in that it is grass that has been cut and left to dry so it can be used as feed in the winter. The difference to hay is that silage is collected when it is still damp rather than dry like hay.

The grass is mown and then left to dry for 24 hours in the field. We then collect it using two methods, either by baling it in the field:

and then we cart it to a stack where it is wrapped in black cling film.

The other method we use is to chop it and cart it to a large pit where it is made into a pile which is rolled with a tractor to squeeze all the air out.

The pile of rolled grass is then covered with air tight sheeting.The finishing touch is then to cover the sheets with smelly, wet and dirty old tyres to hold them down, one of the most unpleasant jobs of the year as any farmer will tell you!

When harvested and stored in airtight conditions the grass will naturally ferment and pickle itself, becoming acidic (approx pH 4 in case you get the urge to try making some). Sometimes an additive is applied during harvest to make sure this process happens correctly and prevent any spoilage or mould. The silage is then fed in the winter with all the animals getting to fill their jolly little bellies in our sheds rather than having to paddle about in cold muddy fields. We spoil them, we really do.

This job is actually harder than it sounds as it is totally reliant on good dry weather, this year has been a typically bad one with no decent dry spells in the last three weeks ! Seasons like this usually end up involving much muffled cursing after having bothered to listen to the weatherman only to find the crop floating away in a thunderstorm. Luckily this year we managed to dodge most of the showers and have got the crop safely in the last three days. We have made about 500 tonnes of chopped pit silage and another 200 bales of wrapped silage.

We have to get help in to make the silage as most of our machinery is now too old and clapped out to rely on. The contractors bring monster tractors and equipment that puts ours to shame. In one day then can cut, cart and stack more silage than we used to be able to do in a week when we did it ourselves. The other great benefit of contractors is that someone else gets the privilege of bouncing up and down our farm tracks in a tractor for 12 hours a day rather than me, perfect! We do help out though but it takes me longer to mow our largest 20 acre field, than it does for the contractor in his 300 horsepower tractor to do the other 60 acres.

The main problem we had this year was because the poor weather stopped us cutting at the right time the grass got another two weeks of growing time which meant we had to try and cram as much into our pit as possible. This proved highly entertaining because it has a roof on it which is very low, as he was pushing the silage in one of the drivers accidentally slammed his tractor into one of the steel beams holding the roof up, making a huge bang and shaking the entire shed. It was only when I opened my eyes and found I wasnt buried in a heap of twisted steel and rubble I was pleased to find he had only cracked a few roof sheets rather than demolishing the entire building. I think he was trying to give us a gentle hint it’s time we built a new silage pit with a much higher roof over it big enough for his tractor to fit in! Sadly he will probably have to wait until our cows come up with a way of turning grass into gold rather than milk. This is a picture of the contractors filling our silage pit with chopped grass.

Well I hope that covers what silage is and why we make it. It also explains why if you’re in the countryside at this time of year there is a good chance you could get stuck behind a tractor doing 20mph! Please have some sympathy as there’s a good chance the 18 year old driving it has probably been working 18 hours a day for a few weeks, but I agree its still a right pain in the tail when the little oiks never pull over to let us past!

The next job I’m doing tomorrow is spreading slurry onto the freshly cut fields to help the grass grow for the second cut of silage we will make in August. This is the ultimate example of recycling as the bulging slurry store is the end result of our cows filling their greedy snouts with silage all winter! If you have any questions or comments about silage making or farming in general please leave them below.

Peak District Farm Holidays

2008-04-06T13:00:00.000-07:00

We are pleased to announce the updates to our website are finished and all the group members are really pleased with the improvements in layout and all the new photographs. To use the site you can either search for accommodation using the Area Map or the Farm List which details all the farms and what accommodation and facilities they offer.

Other features we have dramatically improved are the last minute availability spreadsheets for the Bed and Breakfast rooms and Self Catering Accommodation for the groups Holiday Cottages, Log Cabins and Static Caravans.

We have a special offers section which is regularly updated so you can search for bargin Last Minute Accommodation in the Peak District. The Special Interest Breaks lists themed weekend and short breaks including activites such as fishing, painting lessons, sculpture classes etc. We also show in this section when its the best time to see farm activites such as lambing or hay making.

The Farm Diary section is written by individual members and allows you to read the latest on what is happening on our farms and gives a great impression of farming life.

We hope you like the new site and find it informative and easy to use, if you have any comments please use the contact us feature at the bottom of the page. Another light fall of snow last night means both ourselves and the farm animals are still patientially waiting for the arrival of Spring and some lush grass growth! Last year all our cow beasts were out enjoying the grass:

New Website

2008-03-07T03:52:00.000-08:00

We are currently updating our website to provide many more pictures and information about the farms in the area which offer accommodation. To see our current website please click here for peak district farm holidays.