LATEST ARTICLES
News
Farmer Writes: strong beef price can can only be seen as a good thing
James Strain
I would like to see the people who put in the hard work of breeding and calving cows getting well paid for it, because God knows we’ve done it long enough for nothing.
2 April 2025 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: hoping for a better year than 2012
James Strain reflects on some of the similarities between the start of this year and 2012, but hopes for a much different ending.
24 March 2025 Farmer Writes
Farmer writes: letting nature do its thing with grass
This week, farmer writer James Strain discusses sluggish grass growth on land grazed over the winter.
Farmer Writes: talking all things clover
James Strain recently attended Goldcrop’s launch of new white clover verities. This prompted him to think about the use of red clover on his own farm.
11 March 2025 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: roll on the grazing season
The weather hasn’t improved much, but it’s still nice to see it bright at 6 o’clock in the evening. One’s mind starts to turn to the spring and plan for the grazing season, writes James Strain.
24 February 2025 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: what price is too dear?
Finished cattle are one thing, but the store market has just gone crazy altogether, especially over the last two weeks, writes James Strain.
12 February 2025 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: no point saying no to an inspector
I suppose it's important to remember that Department inspectors are only out trying to do a job, they’re not out to get anyone.
27 January 2025 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: Not everything puts on weight over Christmas
Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye and all of a sudden there’s no one there to do the work or feed the stock. People can be left in an awful situation overnight, James Strain writes.
13 January 2025 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: repairs in wake of storm Darragh
James Strain accounts his experience of last weekend's storm Darragh, which has left him with a bit of work to do on the farm.
9 December 2024 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: the dreaded herd test
Over 75% of my herd is bought in, which obviously increases the potential risks that some of the bought in cattle could have been exposed to infection, James Strain writes.
25 November 2024 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: it’s hard to believe it’s November
All as that is and at the risk of sounding like a complaining farmer, it’s just not natural, writes James Strain.
11 November 2024 Farmer Writes
Farmer Writes: first of the bought-in cattle killed
All heifers were weighed in July and a batch of the heaviest were picked out to get a bit of meal at grass and these are the batch that have now been killed, writes James Strain.
30 October 2024 Farmer Writes