We’re approaching the end of 2015. It has been a mixed year for farming here in France. The spring was a bit later than normal, but then it kicked off well.

The first crop of grass silage and the wholecrop silage were very good, but then in June we were hit with scorching heat and no rain. While it didn’t affect the cereal crops, the drought had a huge impact on the maize, and the grass stopped growing. There were no green fields in France, as everywhere was burnt up.

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We had to feed hay to the cattle out in the fields. Luckily, we had decided this year to make nearly all pit silage, as we had a lot of hay left over from the previous year. We put down two new silage pits in winter 2014, so that served us well.

cold comfort

The French are all predicting a very cold winter ahead, but hopefully we should be okay for fodder, even though the maize return was very poor this year: only half that of previous years.

In June, we had a visit from a bus load of Irish farmers, who were on a French trip as part of the Bord Bia quality assurance scheme. It was 36oC when they arrived in the yard. A lot of them had trouble understanding how anyone could work in this heat.

To cope, we get up early to finish most of the outdoor work before the midday heat. Air-conditioning is a necessity on the tractors and other machinery. In July we were cutting the corn in 40oC heat. Some parts of France had to stop cutting altogether because of the danger of fires, and there were quite a few combines burnt out in the fields.

protests

We’ve had a number of demonstrations, some very aggressive, around France this year, protesting against lower cattle prices. The farmers even blockaded some of the larger supermarkets.

They went in, took any foreign beef out of the fridges and gave it to people outside and to food kitchens for the homeless. One supermarket chain even closed its doors for the day of one of the protests. There was a lot of pressure being put on the government.

All that stopped, however, as Bluetongue was discovered in some herds and there was an immediate restriction on cattle movement. Now we have to vaccinate all cattle between six and 15 months that are being exported. This has restricted exports for the past two months, but the first vaccinated animals will be free to go this week. We are waiting to see what impact this is going to have on weanling prices.

The Sommet Elevage (one of the largest Agricultural shows in France) had to cancel all the cattle displays and competitions, as cattle movements were banned.

Declan and Laura went to the show and thought it was still quite busy, even without the cattle. They met up with representatives of the Irish Limousin Society, who were there to promote the International Limousin Congress to be held in Ireland in 2016.

Faithful companion

One of our cattle dogs died a few months ago. She was one of two Australian Kelpies that we had brought with us when we came to live in France in 2006, so it was a sad occasion.

After much searching, we bought a new Kelpie pup that Declan has started to train. He is so used to the old dogs knowing what to do and where to go, that it is frustrating to start from scratch with a new pup, but she is showing great signs so far.

We’ve also bought a Leonberger from an English breeder near us. She is huge, even though she is only seven months old. We did not get her as a working dog, but she is proving to be very protective of the goats.

We have decided to stay with our existing number of 180 milking goats. It would be too expensive to increase, as we would need to change the milking machine and extend the sheds.

This is the first time in three years that we dried off all the goats together for two months. It was good to have the break from milking, but it meant a very hectic kidding season. That is over now, and our calving season is well under way, with 112 calves born since early September.

We are now in the middle of sowing the cereal crops. It is easier this year because the fields are in the third year of tillage, never having been ploughed before, and they have levelled out well.

We also invested in a one-pass Vaderstaad seed drill, which saves a lot of time and diesel because it tills, levels, sows and rolls all in one go and it holds two tonne of seed. On a good day, you can sow up to 30ha with it.

Family life and the GAA

It is now two years since we formed the GAEC (family company) and it is working out well so far. Luke is very enthusiastic, particularly on the tillage side, and we have sown 10ha of oil seed rape, which is a new crop for us.

He has been monitoring its progress very carefully, watching out for slugs and insects. It is gone past its six leaf stage, so the early danger is nearly past.

Luke has been playing Gaelic football with the Clermont Gaels GAA club for over a year now. They have monthly tournaments for the French championship from February to June and they won the French intermediate championship.

He is just back from Vienna,where they took park in the GAA European championship. He has been selected for an Irish team to take on the French national team in Paris next month. He is trying to get them to set up a hurling championship too, but any of them who have seen a hurling match think it is a game for savages.

They were all watching the Ireland/France rugby match in Clermont, but all the French cleared out of the pub straight after the game, and the pub closed – no drowning their sorrows there.

William is still studying in Clermont and is now sharing a house with two friends, so he is learning about electricity, heating and internet bills – another form of education.

Laura is in her final year at Lycee and will be doing her BAC (equivalent of the Leaving Cert) this summer. She is undecided about following up with an apprenticeship as a patisserie chef or to continue with a further two years of education to get a BTS. She will need to decide in the next couple of months.

She has just finished a month’s stage (work experience) in a hotel about 40 minutes away, and they have offered her a job next summer as a receptionist. But she is still adamant it is the kitchen she wants.

We had a flying visit home recently, to visit family and friends, especially Declan’s mother, who is 89 this year. We also went to the All-Ireland hurling final – a great result for the Galway minors, but not so good for the seniors, unfortunately.

Ireland always seems so busy compared to the pace of life in France, but also a lot friendlier.

We have had some helpers from various countries during the year, as part of the HelpX system, where people come to help out in exchange for accommodation and meals.

It is very interesting to meet people from different nationalities and compare cultures and lifestyles.