Farm Diary June 3 2009

The German workers are away for another week's holiday, wasting glorious weather, ideal for high productivity and long working days. We on the other hand have a solid three weeks work on the site in order to pour concrete foundations for the gas cleaner, the pump room, the two feeders, and various other chopping and mixing devices.

Both tub feeders have arrived, one is a sizeable 20 cubic meter vertical feeder, but dwarfed by its big brother which is a massive 40 cubic meter affair. These have no wheels and drawbars (as our cow feeders have), but are static units on a concrete plinth, driven by a bank of rather large electric motors.

I had specified that we only wanted to load feeders once a day and these are big enough to cope with 24 hrs worth of muck, grass silage and maize. The large one feeds the primary tank, which will produce 80% of the gas, and the smaller one will feed the secondary tank, with a more concentrated ration, whilst it digests the remaining fibres from the first tank. In this way we can boost the overall gas production which will take us up the target of 1 megawatt/hr.

Our brand new large capacity, high-spec trailer, with ABS brakes, and 'active steer' broke down after just over 100 miles. Too clever for its own good? No, just the usual problem of brand new wheels and hubs, with paint in between, causing the wheels to move although the wheel nuts are murder tight. With a damaged rim and hub, a rather difficult conversation took place between myself and the company that built this trailer and delivered it 6 months late!

The wheel nuts are to be tightened to 575Nm which breaks most normal sockets and bars, but the wheels still move. With a strip down and some work carried out by Glebedales contractors, we hope that with the new parts fitted, things will settle down.

Whilst 'Saint Hilary' basks in the glory of not having breached any rules regarding MP's expenses, he and Defra continue to alienate farmers, undermining their confidence with their consultation on animal disease cost sharing, lack of any progress or commitment to do anything about TB in cattle, and their proposed compulsory 'set-aside' on arable crops. It is as if Defra want to makes things worse on farms, driving more and more farming families out of the industry.

For once, these issues are not something that can be blamed on Europe, they are British issues, and they are being appallingly handled by Benn and Defra. Margaret Becket, followed by Hilary Benn, have been a total disaster for agriculture. David Millliband made a brief appearance in between Becket and Benn, and we all got excited. Here was an intelligent man who was on the way up, looking as if he would get a grip of his department, but no sooner was he in post than and was promoted.

I was at the Bath and West show last Wednesday, and it rained all day; the most miserable day. It did provide plenty of time to talk to people whilst sheltering, and David Cameron was there with Nick Herbert (Shadow Sec: of State). They both publicly (again) promised a proper response to TB in cattle, tackling both the farming and wildlife problems, as is being done in Wales and Ireland. Nick Herbert talked of the need for affordable rural housing, a root and branch review of Defra and its approach to important farming issues.

I particularly liked the fact that he was complimentary about Agriculture Minister Jane Kennedy and her predecessor Lord Rooker, both of whom have the desire to assist, and are anxious to understand the real issues, and find solutions.

Dairy products in your diets has been highlighted over the past week. A fat found in dairy foods helps to prevent bone loss according to a recent study published in the journal 'Lipids in health and disease'. Previous studies have suggested that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may have a beneficial effect on bone health, although the precise mechanism remains unclear. Bone is a living tissue and is constantly formed and broken down by different bone cells.

Apparently, CLA has an effect on the cells that break down bone tissue, reducing the growth and activity of these cells; therefore may help prevent bone loss.

The second bit of good news was that dairy foods in your diet prevents the body from absorbing as much fat from the food we eat (BBC), due to the calcium present in dairy foods. All in all, a good week, and a change from those who's immediate 'advice' is to cut down on dairy if on a diet. They may be wrong!

Thousands of fruit trees and bushes are to be planted in Manchester city centre. Manchester Council has started to implement a 200,000 scheme to provide fresh and free (!) produce to locals. Around 20,000 soft fruit bushes are being planted across the city; all of Manchester's 135 parks will be planted with fruit, nuts and herbs. Vegetable patches will be dug, and the produce given to the volunteers who tend them. Beehives are to be introduced at a number of sites, each producing up to 80lbs of honey each year. Manchester a healthy living utopia! What next!