COOKING, TURBINES AND CALVES

It’s proving to be a bumper-crop day for our wind turbines. They are operating beyond their official maximum (16kw/h for 15kw/h machines….).   This is optimum turbine weather –  not so windy they shut down completely but not too gusty either; a steady big blow.

While this is all very lovely for turbines, the wind-chill factor is considerable and that means the Great Outdoors is effectively off-limits for humans and all but the most vital of tasks.  Unfortunately, farming must continue stoically through inclement weather and there are numerous vital tasks at this time of year.   It’s when things are at their most harsh that we must be most vigilant (I say ‘we’ but obviously I refer only to my hardy husband).   Animals in late-stage pregnancy suffer from exhaustion and collapse just as humans do!

I suppose, ideally, you want your farming calendar to be carefully planned so things are spread out across the year – but of course it doesn’t quite work like that and everything comes at once:  high winds, lambing, visitors, cooking- and calving.  We’ve had our first live calf of the year and dearly, dearly hope it will survive!  (Pics tomorrow).

Meal for the day: luxury Mexican chilli….. I do look forward to this cooking lark coming to an end for a while!!!