Philip and I have had 10 days with the farm on a type of autopilot mode. We are the part-time farmers in the outfit so our working lives continue as normal. Both Colm and Tim are in New Zealand. Tim is on a farm tour with other farmers and Colm is on the last leg of his Nuffield scholarship. Both share a passion for travel. They will meet at a conference in New Zealand before Tim returns to base. Meanwhile back at the farm, Philip and I are keeping the show on the road. Colm and Tim both worked ungodly hours for the few previous weeks before departure so that all would be in order for us.

Peat arrival

We use straw bedding under the cows and calves and this year it is a very precious commodity after the challenging summer. Generally there is straw available in the spring should we run short but next spring will be different.

Our straw suppliers are gentlemen and we buy from them every year so we had no problems sourcing straw. The beautiful golden bales are stacked three high in the shed. So Philip and I have been told to “mind” the straw.

Before Colm headed off, he and Philip decided to investigate the option of putting some of the cows on peat to spare the straw. Colm ordered 17 tonnes of peat! The first I heard of it was when Colm, sitting at the computer in the office, announced: “Mom, a load of peat will be delivered on Monday!” By then both travellers would be gone. The gardener was immediately gracious! My jest was received in poor taste. I’d hedge a bet that Colm did not know what 17 tonnes of peat looked like!

When Philip came from work, a brown mountain had appeared adjacent to the farmyard. The artic had been too high to tip directly into the shed. As Philip began the painstaking job of moving it, the loader reminded me of their mini dinky trucks in the heap of sand when they were little boys. He wasn’t making the accompanying contented machine sounds that they used to make back then though! There was determination, concentration and urgency on his face. At least the weather was dry while the job continued early in the morning and after work in the evening.

Cows give the thumbs up

Philip does the feeding of the animals in the shed and the maiden heifers that are on grass and meal. Between us we are moving the fences twice a day for the first lactation dry cows and the in-calf heifers that are on two fields of hybrid kale. On the first evening of the peat mountain, Philip needed to stay on the loader so Diarmuid and I volunteered for the evening fences too. It was a race against time. It was after four by the time I got home from school and darkness was closing in so fast. Philip said there was a head torch in the jeep but I couldn’t find it. Luckily, I had brought a big torch.

My faithful girls were all waiting patiently. There was no rushing for the feed. That’s the bonus of changing the fences twice daily. It also delivers better utilization of the crop. D was lighting my way with the torch. There are two fences so in the event of the girls breaching one there is another. The men change the two together but I don’t do them often enough to be that dexterous and I’d surely mess up. So I’m slower. Philip rang: “Where are you mum?” We were just finished! “Come to the yard, I’m about to let the cows onto the peat!”

It was a sight to behold! The cows looked into the shed and turned around. Philip turned them back again. They began to sink into the peat and then the fun started. They looked to be swimming. One would never believe that big cows could be so lively as they played about. As we watched, Philip asked: “How did you get on with the fences?” I answered: “Absolutely fine!” “Good woman,” he said. I didn’t tell him that there was a fine shock in the fence! Having inadvertently tested it on several occasions.