Thursday 15 January 2009

I Love The Smell Of . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Newly turned plough. Over the cold snap I was able to park my car on a frozen verge (usually too wet to risk) and walk a new route. I passed this field which belongs to the local farmer and a lovely aroma of fresh earth blew my way - wonderful! The farmer was telling me they had been able to get on quite well with the ploughing with the frozen ground until the sun came out. The top layer of frozen ice melted causing the tractor wheels to slip and no purchase on the ground was gained, ploughing resumed early evening when it had started to freeze again. Just in the friendly chatter I have with the farmer I gain an insight to all the rules and regulations they have to follow - it must be awful not to be able to farm how you wish. For example, I did not know that slurry is not to be sprayed on the fields at a certain time of year (I think probably now) - I would guess another EU regulation?

3 comments:

Lane Mathias said...

That's a lovely fresh smell. The slurry ... not so much:-)

DayPhoto said...

I too love the smell of fresh plowed soil....I can hardle wait...11 more weeks!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

Someone tried to explain the slurry thing to me a while ago. It's something to do with the increased risk of run-off from the fields during wet weather - a rule no doubt brought in before the recent run of wet English summers.