Farm Diary

SNOW everywhere '“ and chaos! No surprise really, given that we only get snow every twenty years or so now due to climate change, where as in the past it used to be every five years or so. Of course we may go back to snow every five years or so again in the future, and we will then need to re-think our priorities.

We are simply not geared up to deal with snow, we don't have the investment in equipment, salt, or the driving skills, winter tyres etc: that countries regularly experiencing snow falls have. It's the same with extreme weather in the summer; no rain for a week and we have a Minister for drought! Today we have a Minister for snow. Do we?

Our country is fortunate in having a maritime climate, which means a little of everything without extremes. Not a bad place to be on the whole, but it does mean that we are badly-equipped for any deviation, where it gets very cold, hot, wet or windy.

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As soon as this happens, the radio springs to life 'Stay at home, don't go to work, and don't go out unless you have to' and so on. Mind you when you see the chaos on the roads as your average British driver shows off his skills on snow and ice, you are not going to get far from home before you skid off the road or become stuck in a queue where someone else has beaten you to it.

Milk tankers are not very good in snow, especially the big multi-wheeled articulated monsters that come to our farms these days in the name of greater efficiency! Well there is not much efficiency when the snow falls, as these leviathans spin helplessly on the flat, and won't look at any gradient. Of course if the roads were cleared and salted it would not be a problem, but country lanes are not top priority, and farm drives are our responsibility.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette February 11

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