The English Paysanne

Although the cows at La Singlarie are free ranging the fields there is not a lot of grass for them so hay is on the menu from now on. Now hay does vary, some is delicious we can't get enough of it and some is well were hungry so we will eat it, some is a bit brambly and weedy and some bits may not of dried out enough when it was bailed. The later was served to the cows the other day. They sifted through the good bits and left the bad bits which have to be taken away and disposed of, usually to be burnt. A pile of old wood, off cuts from the laurel bushes and weeds has been built in the small field where the donkeys are waiting to be burnt. This is where the old hay has been placed as well. Only a donkey would eat this hay, two donkeys who are so starved they forget the morning and evening ritual of carrot and fresh hay given and have been relegated to eat the left overs. If they had the number for the SPA here I'm sure they would be on the phone consta...

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Finally bringing the hay in for 2016, there is rather a lot of it.

A moment from the week at La Singlarie Farmer J has been working his socks off cutting the hay this year. His nearly there, hopefully finishing tomorrow when temperatures are suppose to soar.

It is heating up here in the south west of France, this week a heat wave is on the forecast with temperatures predicted of 35 degrees on Wednesday, which probably means  little higher in the sun - ouch far to hot to be outside. With hardly any rain predicted on the long range forecast farmer J is getting a tad worried that the grass will dry out, which it is already starting to do and the cows will be eating hay a while before winter. Worrying we will not have enough hay to last through to next year as although it has been a OK year it has not been as good as last year he has looked to cut and make a bit more.  A hay field at La contie owned by a horse breeder (hay not good enough for the horses) has been cut turned and tonight baled as well as couple of fields en route, owned by a lovely old French couple who took Milo and Franklin in many years ago when they were out on a "run". They were so nice Milo wasn't fussed about leaving and I'm sure he would of q...

Our hay is nearly finished, two more fields are lined up and ready to be baled and the field where the donkeys have been has been cut, turned and lined ready to be bailed tomorrow for pig bedding as this field has a few too many docks and nettles that the cows will not eat. Farmer J has worked his socks off over at La Contie and cutting our fields this year. Many farmers cut on Thursday, including farmer J. Friday it rained - a lot. But as it had only been cut the hay will be OK. Once turned to dry it then goes pants up if rained on, but no more rain is for casted, its been pretty hot so on with baling. After dog walking this evening I came back to see not only farmer J with the new round baler in the field but also our friend down the road, Alex with his old square baler making a line of square bales.  The sight brought a bit of a sweat over me, those memories of hot hard work but I thought I better go and help ( it was only one and a half  lines of little sq...

It is that time of year again, hay making. Tomorrow  our newly acquired rented fields, 7 kms from our farm will be cut. The weather has been good unlike the forecast on the Internet which is changing daily from dry sunny days to  isolated thunder storms and showers. So farmer J and his haymaking partner have decided to bite the bullet and start cutting. A few days of dry weather are needed in order to cut it,turn it over to dry a couple of times, line it up ready to bale. New machinery has been brought a second hand baler, which has been tested to see if it works before it is needed by lining up straw in front of the hanger a few times enabling enough to be fed in to make a bale. I am so glad I don't have to take part in making those small rectangle bales anymore, although an idyllic country scene pictures in your mind of working with friends following the tractor and  baler, stacking the bales ready to be put on the trailer and then all throwing ...

 The last two bales came home from the fields in between wet weather showers. Counting bales farmer J reckons another ten are needed in case of emergency so his hoping the weather will let him cut half of our middle field before the moon changes and rain puts a stop to hay making.  I dug up the new potatoes in the poly tunnel, I seem to of grown mutant ones some of them are huge. It must of been the chicken manure I dug in.  Maude and Mabel, the Muscovy ducks are still spending their time inside the barn, I still keep ushering them out, they still keep waddling back in the minute my back is turned. I also found out our large white male is not a Muscovy but a Mulard,  a sterile Muscovy/ Peking cross which is why he may be so much bigger than the girls - and I will not get any ducklings from them, not that they have laid an egg yet.  The Sunday morning market up in Najac has started to fill up with stalls and tourists.We had coffee this morn...

 The chickens have been laying an abundance of eggs, changing there laying spots to keep us on our toes.  In the middle to haymaking the weather changed unexpected it caught out a lot of farmers, a short heavy shower put farmer J back a day needing to re turn the grass to dry it out.  Not as much hay has been produced this year unlike last but as we still have 19 big bales leftover we will have enough even covering a couple of months should the cows need feeding earlier this year or later into the spring.  The veggie patch is looking weed free (more or less), I am enjoying my time caring for it catching a few hours here and there although this week has been a tad hot for me. I'm impressed with the shallots and onions I planted not so of the Jerusalem artichokes that have reappeared, and I thought I had removed all those tubers. The first home produced meal  of summer. lettuce and herbs for a salad, new potatoes, rainbow chard and french b...

  Eating pretty food for my birthday or getting my own back on snails with a vegetable mille-feuille with snails.     With the weather turning a tad hot hay cutting has started.    Major broad bean picking and processing with lots of beans eaten and frozen. The raspberries and soft fruit are starting to ripen, yummy. I managed to get a couple of photos of the piglets out in their enclosure, so cute these little piglets are growing very fast. Wallows have been made and enjoyed, if I was a pig I would of spent 24 / 7 in mud cooling down, had to settle for a quick cool when entering the cold room in between processing a pig this week. As I am getting older I am finding I can no longer thrive in hot weather and seem to be turning into a wilting rose so when rain finally arrived Saturday evening it was very welcome for today was far more pleasant with a coffee in Najac where the Sunday market has just begun for t...

The last field has been baled for this year. It has been a good harvest, with the extra hay fields that farmer J and his fellow farmer friend were able to access there will be plenty for this year and a stock for next.                                                                   From growing.                                                                      To cutting.                                                                     Letting it dry. T...