Eblex

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CONTENTS • Welcome • Repairing soils after flooding • Are we ready for changes to weed killer regulations? • Improving performance at grass • Will there ever be a virtual shepherd? • Grazing Club at the Sheep Event • Words of wisdom DO IT NOW Over-seed pastures It has become more common to renew existing swards by over-seeding or slot-seeding. This reduces the cost to £175-£200/ha (£70-£80/acre), compared with a full reseed at £375/ha (£100/acre), although a full reseed may still be needed eventually. Now is a good time to over-seed as soil temperatures are high and grass growth has slowed. The limiting factor may be moisture, so the final decision will be driven by rainfall. Soil nutrient levels must be on target, but do not apply nitrogen (N) as this will stimulate existing grasses too much. Aim for 40% bare soil before over-seeding. Aggressive harrowing may be needed. An over-seeding machine that harrows and sows can be used. Alternatively, harrow before and after broadcasting or drilling seeds, or use a slot-seeder/direct drill without cultivation. Seed-to-soil contact, moisture and light are critical for success. After sowing, graze hard in intensive four-to-seven day bursts every month, until the new plants are well established. Over-seeding works best with large-seeded varieties, but bear in mind the process may need repeating if germination is patchy.  HOW TO... Regain grass quality It has been very difficult to maintain grass quality this year after the best spring and early summer growth for a while. But this means some fields now have quite a few seed heads blowing in the wind – a sure sign of declining feed quality. When deciding what to do, try to estimate the total amount of the seed heads present as a proportion of the total feed available in the field – it will not normally be as bad as it looks. Then devise a plan to get back on top of excess growth without resorting to the topper. Read more... Decide when to apply sulphur Forty years ago, sulphur (S) supply to grassland was more than adequate. But today most pastures receive less than 15kg SO3 annually from the air. Swards deficient in S may not yield or respond to nitrogen fertiliser as well as expected. Grazing ground and first cut silage crops may be okay, but second and third cuts may suffer without additional S applied. Read more... Welcome The EBLEX Grazing Club is for all beef and sheep producers who want to: • Improve grass yields and quality • Improve animal performance off grass • Cut production costs • Make more money This newsletter is full of topical information, ideas and suggestions on how to achieve these objectives. As with any club, members can share and swap ideas on how they make the most of grass. Join the Grazing Club conversation on twitter– just follow #grazingclub. Dr Liz Genever, EBLEX livestock scientist Repairing soils after flooding At the end of May, DairyCo and EBLEX ran a joint event at Dairy Plot Farm in Somerset, focusing on how to get land back in order after heavy flooding.  The meeting was hosted by dairy farmer Mr Hubbard and his family, after they experienced the worst flooding they had ever known last winter. Read more... Are we ready for changes to weed killer regulations? At Grassland & Muck, EBLEX conducted a survey to see if beef and sheep producers were aware of the approaching changes to the regulations for weed killers. Overall, 76% of the people surveyed were aware that certification for sprayer operators was needed and Grandfather’s Rights, allowing farmers born before 1964 to spray un-certificated, were ending. 80% were aware of that legislation requiring testing of field sprayers is being introduced. However, only 41% of the respondents had the required certificates and around 30% had no qualifications. So it appears that many have not done anything to prepare for the changes, although it could be that they are going to ask a certificated neighbour or contractor to spray instead. Application methods Knapsack sprayers were the most common application method by those farmers surveyed.  Knapsacks and other handheld sprayers do not have to be tested every five years like boom sprayers do, but should be regularly checked against a checklist and a record kept.  Weed-wipers were only used by around 10% of respondents. It is worth noting that these do need testing every five years if wider than 3m, or every six years if not. Be aware that only glyphosate is licensed to be used in a weed wiper.  More information can be found on the Voluntary Initiative website. Improving performance at grass Sam Parrott is taking steps to increase liveweight gains at grass to reduce the cost of finishing home-produced and bought-in cattle. Reseeding older pastures, rotational grazing and breeding smaller cows are all up for consideration. Read more... Will there ever be a virtual shepherd? The IT revolution has already impacted many sectors of agriculture. Arable famers use satellite technology to map crop yields to help target fertiliser, while dairy farmers are increasingly using precision technologies to monitor cow behaviour. Dr Mark Rutter from Harper Adams Univesity asks whether such precision approaches will ever be available to beef and sheep farmers.Read more... Grazing Club at the Sheep Event Both Liz Genever and Poppy Frater will be on the EBLEX stand (148) at the Sheep Event in Malvern, talking about all things grass and sheep.  They will be focusing on how to plan grazing strategies, including how to implement an all-grass wintering system and how to establish a winter-feed budget. They will also be talking about the importance of measuring and monitoring grass, and the various ways of doing this. A new sward stick will be on show that converts compressed sward heights into kg DM per ha, which is really helpful when planning grazing strategies. It will also be an opportunity to pick up a copy of some of the BRP+ booklets related to grassland management, which can also be downloaded here. Words of wisdom Drench testing is as important as soil testing says Trevor Cook of Totally Vets. Anthelmintic resistance is not noticed until a wormer is less than 50% effective, so it is important to regularly monitor the activity of wormers by carrying out drench tests.   Rotational grazing more risky? Some perceive that rotational grazing increases the risk of stock picking up parasites.  Unfortunately, the ideal conditions for pasture growth are also ideal for infectious larvae to develop. Larvae can survive six to eight weeks in hot conditions and several months in cold. They can move up and down the sward to increase the chance of being eaten. They do not like dry conditions, but can move 10cm down into the soil to survive. The key is to lower the challenge of infectious larvae by employing mixed grazing or using aftermaths. For more information, see the EBLEX-funded report on the Impact of grazing management on cattle and sheep parasites, or the EBLEX BRP manual Worm Control in Sheep for Better Returns.

© Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board 2014 EBLEX is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) Edit your subscription | Unsubscribe EBLEX, AHDB Stoneleigh Park Kenilworth Warwickshire CV8 2TL

Wilderness Foundation

Wilderness Foundation win a Living Landscape Award

Wilderness Foundation win a Living Landscape Award We are extremely proud and delighted to have been awarded a Living Landscape Award from the Essex Wildlife Trust which recognizes that our Chatham GreenProject is making a difference for wildlife in Essex.     This new annual award publicly recognises organisations in Essex who are helping to deliver Living Landscapes which is a national initiative, led by The Wildlife Trusts. Living Landscapes  supports large scale conservation of the land with people and communities at the heart. To achieve a Living Landscape the initiative highlights the many elements of society must work together, to value and act for wildlife plants.   Forthcoming Events Ladies Golf Afternoon - Tuesday 9th September 18 holes plus supper at Bunsay Downs Golf Club. Woodham Walter. Essex £35 per person or £140 per team of 4. For further details, please contact us on 0300 123 3073 or info@wildernessfoundation.org.uk     5 day Ecotherapy Journey - Wild Trail Training 22nd —26th September in Wales  The training will be led by Hayley Marshall UKCP Reg Psychotherapist and Rob Collister Mountain Guide.  Cost is £450.  More information is available on our website.  We are expecting spaces to fill quickly, so please do book early if you would like a guaranteed place. A Day of Supervision & Professional Exploration - Saturday 18th October Shining Cliff Woods, Ambergate, Derbyshire This is a unique opportunity to experience how the supervisory process can be enriched through working within a dynamic natural setting. This day will be suitable for practising counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists (working either indoors or outside) Cost £70 Facilitated and held by Hayley Marshall MSc PTSTA a UKCP. (www.hayleymarshallcounselling.co.uk). Enquiries and to book contact hayleymarshall4@hotmail.com or 07540 303536 With best wishes From Jo and the Wilderness Team       Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend Quiz Night Friday 24th October Little Baddow Memorial Hall WW1 themed quiz night Join us for a good night out - General quiz with a couple of rounds dedicated to WW1.. Hot supper included... Tickets £12.50 each To book : call 0300 123 3073

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Home Farmer

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TABLE OF CONTENTS... • The Forthcoming September Home Farmer... • Delicious Summer Fruit Pudding... • Rich and Succulent Carrot Cake... • A Winter Potato Harvest... • Terry Walton's Guide to Protecting your Brassicas... • Beware Ragwort - the 'Yellow Peril'... • Birds Endangered by Neonicotinoids too... • The Landworkers' Alliance... Brand New Issue out now... This month's Home Farmer is packed, pound for pound, with great tips on growing veg, fantastic recipes, livestock features and DIY/special projects, not to mention our 20-page preserving special. And to complement Mike Clark's excellent article on propagating winter veg to fill the hungry gap we have teamed up with D T Brown to offer every reader £13.77 worth of seeds for free (you just pay postage)to provide you with sustenance during the darkest days of next year's hungry gap. To view the contents panel click here. To buy this issue click here. To save 25% off the cover price by subscribing by Direct Debit and get a copy of Paul Hollywood'sBread book worth £20 FREE click here. To subscribe for 12 issues and get a FREE copy of Paul Hollywood'sBread book click here. Paul Hollywood's BREAD... Sign up today and save over *£1.00 on every issue (on direct debit), get Home Farmerdelivered straight to your door every month and get a FREE copy of Paul Hollywood's Bread book worth £20. To read an extract click here. Plus there is always 20% off any books bought from The Home Farmer Store. To subscribe by *Direct Debit and save 25% click here. To subscribe for 12 issues by card click here. The Forthcoming September Home Farmer... We're working hard on the next issue of Home Farmer which will feature a full programme of planning for the winter growing season, an update on Dot Tyne's Smallholder Diary, some wartime gardening and recipe tips and a 'Fixing Stuff' article devoted to plumbing featuring pipe repairs and ball valve repairs, all designed to save you money and increase your independence and empowerment. The above image is from Elizabeth McCorquodale and shows a Lord Woolton pie, probably the most famous of the WW2 Ministry of Food recipes, originally devised by the head chef at the Savoy Hotel and just one of many recipes to look forward to. Delicious Summer Fruit Pudding... For our first recipe we are lucky to have a summer fruit pudding while the summer lasts - and here I am speaking as a Northerner for the very first time. The recipe comes from Mel Sellings aka the Jammy Bodger and is one of the most pleasant ways of appreciating the summer harvest I have ever come across. To see the recipe and enjoy the pudding click here. Rich and Succulent Carrot Cake... Another cake designed to use up the summer harvest is carrot cake - a delicious accompaniment to a cup of tea at any time of year. This recipe comes courtesy of Jennie Rutland who knows a great recipe or two. To see the recipe click here. A Winter Potato Harvest... We have a great gardening tip from contributor Dave Hamilton which should enable you to harvest potatoes well into winter and even on Christmas Day, fresh for your Christmas dinner. To see Dave's gardening tipclick here. Terry Walton's Guide to Protecting your Brassicas... Brassicas seem pretty hardy - tough skinned and with a solid and purposeful taste, for the most part, but they are actually more prone to disease and pests than most veg - namely clubroot and the deceptively pretty cabbage white butterfly which looks to lay its eggs on your precious plants. Experience has taught Terry a few tricks though, and he's ready to share them with newsletter readers. To read Terry's brassica protection tips click here. Beware Ragwort - the 'Yellow Peril'... I was asked about doing an article on ragwort by someone at the Ardingly Smallholder Show, She described it as perhaps the worst pest for horses and ponies, but it also affects most livestock. We did include an article on ragwort by Heidi M. Sands some time ago and it helps with recognition and dealing with the problem. To read Heidi's article on ragwort click here. Birds Endangered by Neonicotinoids too... Recent research by scientists in Holland has revealed that neonicotinoids are not only a danger to pollinators - they are also causing a serious decline in many farmland birds. The peer-approved research looked at other potential problems such as intensive farming techniques, but concluded that it was without doubt neonicotinoids, and in particular imidacloprid, which awas responsible for falling numbers of tree sparrows, swallows and starlings. This was one of the recently banned insecticides which Environment Secretary Owen Paterson tried to return to use, but was overruled by his cabinet colleagues. To read about the recent research and findings click here. The Landworkers' Alliance... Most Home Farmer readers want to enjoy good food produced in a wholesome and healthy way, preferably by traditional farming methods rather than something we would equate more with a factory. One organisation that is trying to get a greater say for small farms within Defra is the Landworkers' Alliance, and next month we shall be featuring their aims and hopes for the sector. I recently received a press release from them about the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership proposals which we have also voiced concerns about as they will give too much power to the big corporations. I have put their press release online for anyone else concerned about the matter to add their voice to the campaign. This is something which will affect all of us if it becomes a reality, so anyone who was concerned about the proposed outlawing of heritage seeds should be similarly concerned about this matter too. To view the press release click here.

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Smallholder Series

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	There are over 70 breeds of pig across the world, including 14 British pig breeds - plus many more cross breeds. If you are thinking of starting with pigs, have a look at our list ofPig Breeds to help you decide which breed would be best for you.
	Things to do on your smallholding this month! There are lots of useful seasonal tips on our website. Here are a few: Weaning - lambs should be weaned on to clean pasture as the stress of weaning can make them more susceptible to parasites. If your chickens are pecking their feathers, they may be harbouring some uninvited pests - see our Guide to Ectoparasites of Chickens Pigs are intelligent, playful animals - so provide them with safe toys: balls, skittles, traffic cones and pipes will all provide hours of fun!. There's still time to sow some crops from seeds: lettuce, spring cabbage, spinach, chicory, peas, French beans, carrots and more... Keep up with all your smallholding tasks with our comprehensive guides to sheep, chickens, pigsand the vegetable garden. Just click on an image below.
	Website Highlights Article of the Month Better Ewe Nutrition Part 2 - The Role of Supplementary Feeding Moredun Health Bulletin Human health issues (Zoonotic infections) associated with rearing cattle in the UK Green Farm Diary Filming on location with 'performance recorded' flocks NADIS Health Alert Cattle lungworm, Maedi Visna and webinars on cattle fertility Advice from World Horse Welfare Occupying a Stabled Horse Recipe of the Month Broad Bean & Feta Cheese Toasts
	FeedbackWe really appreciate getting feedback from our customers - your views on our DVDs, suggestions for articles you'd find useful / helpful, and how you initially heard of us. You can leave feedback by emailing us - see the feedback page on our website. Real SmallholdersDo you have an interesting story about your smallholding? How you achieved your dream, or the variety of livestock you have? Maybe you have new products you would like to promote. We'd love to feature you in our 'Real Smallholders' section. Just email us, and we'll send you details of what to include in your story. Weekly BulletinsFollow us on Facebook and Twitter for weekly smallholding news.