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Wellies - January 06
THE SNOW didn’t quite make it for a white Christmas so a white New Year will just have to do. At this time of year livestock feeding, bedding and mucking out are the main jobs on the farm. Snow clearing and road gritting also have to be done if it looks like the snow is going to last for sometime.
Hard-packed snow on roads can make travel difficult and dangerous, even four wheel drive tractors on new tyres can struggle to negotiate hard packed ice on roads which resemble bobsleigh runs. It was interesting to watch the news reports over the holiday period showing farmers rescuing stranded cars and trucks with their tractors. There will no doubt, be among those rescued, drivers who spend the rest of the year complaining about slow moving tractors on the road, but who were only too glad to see them when they need rescued!
At this time of year during periods of cold weather with deep snow cover, wild birds struggle to find food. Livestock feed areas both inside and out provide rich pickings and work done by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has shown far greater populations of birds on livestock farms than on cropping only farms, where food can be in shorter supply.
Modern farming methods are often blamed for the steady decline of certain bird species, but RSPB Scotland research shows that mixed cropping and livestock farms such as those in Highland Perthshire provide a rich and varied habitat and are able to support a wide and varied population of birds. NFU Scotland is now working more closely than ever before with organisations like RSPB Scotland to see how environmental schemes on farms and farming methods in general, can be tailored to give maximum benefits to all types of wildlife.
As an industry, we are only too aware of being accused of getting ‘money for nothing’ in the form of our single farm payments. It is therefore, very important that we highlight all the positive aspects of a thriving agricultural sector in terms of locally produced food, employment, community infrastructure and as a backdrop for a growing tourist industry.
The year end means AGM time for the local Highland Perthshire branch of the National Farmers Union of Scotland. Approximately 40 members of the branch gathered at the Riverside Inn, Grandtully, on the 14 December last. Retiring Branch President Eddie Stewart of Pitlochry, proposed Mrs Jane Anderson from Trochry as the new Branch President. Jane is the archivist at Blair Castle and will also be know to many of you as one of the voices from the Highland Glen Farming News on Heartland Radio. Jane makes history in being the first lady Branch President of the Highland Perthshire Branch. Gordon Stewart from Lochtayside was elected as Branch Vic-President. Gordon is a familiar face on nearly all farms in Highland Perthshire and beyond in his ‘day-job’ as a Quality Meat Scotland Inspector. I’m sure they’ll both do an excellent job in their new posts.
The after dinner speaker was Blair Macnaughton who gave an informative and amusing talk on the history of Macnaughton’s of Pitlochry. The after dinner speakers are usually high ranking NFU officials whose subject matter doesn’t usually lend itself to many laughs.
Here’s hoping for better prices and all single farm payments to arrive sooner rather than later.
Happy New Year for 2006
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