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  1. kfpben

    New to showing

    Yes it’s the Alresford show I’m involved with. We get a healthy number of cattle, but definitely room for a few more. I bought 25 calves off the guy, not just the two. They needed moving in 24 hours after the export job fell through but before his whole herd TB test. I’m not halter training all...
  2. kfpben

    New to showing

    Sussex and Kent are pretty good for showing- not much TB round there and no pre movement testing needed. The Surrey show packed up a few years ago. My local show bought all the cattle stalling off them.
  3. kfpben

    New to showing

    Thank you. I have a 14 year old helper keen to have a go. My stockman shows beef cattle and sheep so he has half an idea but has never shown dairy. I can’t present them myself as I’m show Livestock Chairman- so a bit of a conflict there 🤣. There isn’t too much HYB or indeed dairy showing round...
  4. kfpben

    When Less May Mean More?

    I wouldn’t always assume that. I am currently running 1000 sheep on an NT property whose AHA came up recently. A short term arrangement admittedly, at least for now. There are cattle there too (not mine).
  5. kfpben

    New to showing

    Afternoon all. An export deal of some calves from a nearby dairy farmer fell through at the 11th hour so I bought them off him in the Autumn. Thought it might be fun to try my hand at showing. Not expecting to take the world by storm, just enter the local show in September. Any tips? Pic is of...
  6. kfpben

    Morrisons to drop British-only sourcing pledge for lamb

    Not sure if Downing Street can dictate Morrison’s lamb sourcing policies
  7. kfpben

    When Less May Mean More?

    Hampshire.
  8. kfpben

    When Less May Mean More?

    Herbal leys at £382/ha. Multi species winter cover crops can include stubble turnips and forage rape. £129/ha I even have a couple of farmers wanting their cereals grazed, though that was a bit scuppered by the incredibly wet winter.
  9. kfpben

    When Less May Mean More?

    No shortage of land round here to graze. The biggest challenge is financing the stock and fencing needed with interest rates as they are. Some sheep farmers might be winding back, but locally it’s because they are getting older, nothing to do with government policy. The SFI encourages grazing...
  10. kfpben

    Sky news today, can farming survive

    All kinds of people really. College/uni students. Mums between school drop off and pick up. Self employed or part time employees wanting an income top up. Some active retirees who got bored sitting about at home. It is a vineyard so there was an element of ‘glamour’ factor initially but that...
  11. kfpben

    Sky news today, can farming survive

    We run a horticultural business that used to use Romanians. They couldn’t come over during Covid and so we moved to using all local labour. It can be done. We have a 120 strong WhatsApp group to let folk know of upcoming labour requirements and they book in as fits them. It works really well...
  12. kfpben

    Best smell of the year

    The smell of fleeces at shearing. The smell of homemade sloe gin in my hip flask on the first day of the hunting season. Its definitely not the smell of burnt hoof… as the husband of a farrier I can attest that!
  13. kfpben

    Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

    Damn these SFI options these arable farmers are going into, with their boundless clean grazing. It’ll be the end of all of us 😱
  14. kfpben

    Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

    We even had them and I’m only 20 miles from the South coast! Never seen them before
  15. kfpben

    Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

    Pretty well, I think! All very relaxed. Lucy Ambache was the presenter. Married to an arable farmer apparently but from London originally
  16. kfpben

    Sky news today, can farming survive

    People have been complaining that there’s no future in farming since about 1750. Plenty of us still buggering on!
  17. kfpben

    Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

    If anyone fancies a laugh I’m on a panel for the Radio Solent farming special from 3-4pm today. I’m the one who likes sheep!
  18. kfpben

    Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

    Edited my post. A TLA is definitely 10 miles. Not sure about linked holdings.
  19. kfpben

    Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

    I was told this bunch needed moving asap as they were running out of grass. What do the Northern collective say to that? 🤣
  20. kfpben

    Confessions of the Sheep/Beef Cattle/Pig Addicts

    Has to be within 10 miles for a TLA
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