Following about eight weeks of no rain;  we had a good few hours of heavy rain last Thursday evening and Friday morning.  The grass is already looking greener.  But we need lots more to help the grass recover.  The stream running through one of the fields has just about dried up.  The grass on the limestone, where the soil isn't as deep has turned brown and died, the farmers who farm up there are really struggling for grass for their sheep.  Many are selling their lambs early as they cannot 'finish' them to a good weight for slaughter.   Some are already feeding their cows with silo and bales that should have been kept for winter.   We have made some haylage, however we need another crop when the grass grows, a couple of weeks ago we bought some hay bales straight from the field at a local farm.

In the heat the sheep take shade under the trees, we treat them with a spray on fly treatment after shearing and they will need re-spraying in a few weeks.  

The sheep were sheared a few weeks ago.

I have completed my exams at school and during the summer I am working at Country Harvest and The Marton Arms before returning to Sixth form in September.     

At Young Farmers we have been stock judging, sheep shearing, Archery, district sports competitions and fitness training.  Next Saturday we are having a stall at Ingleton Gala; selling milkshakes and 'milking Daisy the Cow'.   James has made the cow and a couple of us have painted it, he needs to fit udders to her yet!    Here is Vladimir the pet lamb with Daisy.

Some of the sheep with their lambs taking shade under the old ash tree...