In Your Field: Kate Beavan - 'We ate haggis, watched shearing, saw lots of kilts, and made new friends'

It's showtime. We finally ticked the Highland Show off our wish list. We have never been before, but with the Golden Shears being hosted there this year, coupled with Sam shearing in Scotland, it seemed the perfect time to do it.

clock • 2 min read
In Your Field: Kate Beavan - 'We ate haggis, watched shearing, saw lots of kilts, and made new friends'

The only issue was, with no-one to look after the farm we had to travel there and back in a day with a 3.30am start and landing back home at midnight.

Bristol Airport was challenging as we haven't flown for seven years. It was soon obvious that we were not the only country bumpkins heading north, with knowing nods from individuals wearing checked shirts as we passed like cattle up and down the conveyor belt waiting for the security check. The plane was full of friendly farmers with an added bonus of farming from the sky which beats farming from the car window any day.

We ate haggis, watched shearing, saw lots of kilts and made new farming friends. A proper country show and only a walk away from the airport. Congratulations to Welshman Gwion Evans, Golden Shears machine-shearing champion 2023. Our next show is the Royal Welsh which is much closer, but it will be my first time judging there and to say I'm nervous is an understatement.

I spent two days last week on a lowland grassland identification course. Now I'm pretty good at identifying indicator species in grassland, but this was a whole new level of Latin, something that isn't taught at the type of school I went to. I'm not sure my Latin will ever be up to scratch, but I have found a new passion for looking at awns, hairs and ligules down a hand lens. Everyday is a learning day. The other attendees were from larger organisations (I was the only farmer) and during discussions (there was a really good bar there), it became clear that they were envious of the freedom we have to try out our tree planting ideas.

Don't get me wrong, we have to navigate plenty of bureaucracy, but we're working on finding the shortest route to get there and trying out new ways of planting. After last year's drought, we noticed that bracken and long grass protected trees from drying out so we leave natural shelter and are currently trialling planting under tripods in bracken.

We rarely use tree guards and concentrate on hedgerows, shelterbelts and less productive areas of the farm, not productive land. The Minister for Rural Affairs delivered a statement to the Senedd last week on the development of the Sustainable Farming Scheme in Wales. I have yet to sift through the details but fingers crossed that hedgerows will finally be acknowledged as trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More on In your field

 In your field: James and Isobel Wright - "Those in rural Britain can actually define what a 'working person' is"

In your field: James and Isobel Wright - "Those in rural Britain can actually define what a 'working person' is"

James and Isobel, with their two young children, recently bought their first farm, and plan to run beef and sheep over 13.8 hectares (34 acres), renting a further 44.5ha (110 acres). James works for tech firm Breedr as a product manager. You can follow them on Twitter @jpbwfarm

clock 30 October 2024 • 2 min read
In your field: James Robinson - "Whatever colour badge they wear, MPs are there to represent us"

In your field: James Robinson - "Whatever colour badge they wear, MPs are there to represent us"

James farms Dairy Shorthorns east of Kendal, Cumbria, with his parents Kathleen and Henry, wife Michelle and sons Robert and Chris. The fifth generation to farm at Strickley, he is also vice-chair of the Nature Friendly Farming Network

clock 28 October 2024 • 3 min read
In your field: Ian Garnett - "I feel sure the future of farming is in safe hands"

In your field: Ian Garnett - "I feel sure the future of farming is in safe hands"

Ian farms in partnership with his family near Knutsford, Cheshire. They manage 700 commercial pedigree Holstein/Friesians on 445 hectares (1,100 acres). Replacements are home-reared and cows are on a composite system. Ian is a representative for Sainsbury’s Dairy Development Group and sits on the AHDB Genetics Advisory Forum

clock 26 October 2024 • 2 min read