Flank Farm

Lest we forget.

Sorry for the quality of the audio in this months episode, not the finest but plenty to still enjoy. Here are some timestamps for you:

- 00:15 Reminiscing about sitting on bales of hay

- 00:40 Mum sold some cows to pay the winter bills

- 02:20 Replacing the ol' Texel codger's

- 03:00 Getting the second cut of silage home

- 04:00 Time of year you're grateful for the barn (roof)

- 04:20 Mum studying the clouds

- 05:10 Mum selling a lot of this years lamb stock

- 06:20 Process for introducing new sheep onto the farm

- 07:30 Update on sheep's feet

- 08:50 Percy the new Texel Ram

- 10:05 Gilly the Bleu du Maine

- 10:50 Cows inside for Winter

- 11:45 How's the new barn?

- 13:30 Ru's Stews

Thanks for supporting us at the farm + have a great Month.

Good Morning from the Farm. On top of mum’s new tractor, we discuss some great topics for October – 00:22 - An eccentric podcast setup 02:00 - Mum at the ploughing match 05:20 - TB Testing pass 06:00 - Cows starting to have hay 07:20 - TB test reactors last year 09:00 - Mum's favourite months 10:00 - What normally happens in October on the farm 11:00 - Mum's new RAM 15:00 - Sat too far away from each other for the podcast 16:40 - Wedding feast 18:00 - Birds in the barn 20:00 - Pigs are very vocal Between us, I will not set us up so far away next time. Mum could hardly hear what I was saying, which made actual conversation a little tricky. Loads of love from us all at the farm

Welcome back to the farm, thanks for joining us on the dumper truck for today's episode of Good Morning from the Farm.

This month we discuss:

00:17 Mum's on the dumper truck

01:20 Does mum like being a construction manager?

02:20 Don't be late... 8am

03:00 Mum's busy morning!

03:50 Could be a hard winter

05:20 Cows looking nice!

05:30 Sheep and fly strike

06:00 Gran's hornet problem

07:00 2 rams got out!

07:20 Stick a couple of pallets in the hedge!

08:30 TOP 3 Sheep Breeds

12:30 Hair Sheep from America (Fife Farm)

14:20 Seeing the pigs outside

15:30 "There's a reason why pigs have a plough at the end of their nose"

19:30 Mum's new tractor

Welcome back to our "Wild, Free and Lovely" Farm! This month we caught up about our new piglets; what farmers think of umbrellas; and how to juggle the work and pressures of this way of life.

Chapters:

00:10 – New piglets

03:20 – Bucks Show coming up

04:20 – Wild, Free and Lovely

05:00 – What does mum think of umbrellas

07:00 – Synthetic meat

10:00 – Eating seasonally

16:50 – Responding to video from wildheather

(https://twitter.com/wildmanheather/status/1684820818507780096?s=20)

Questions for next time? I'd love to hear from you in the comments For Email updates, subscribe: https://www.flankfarm.com/

Good Morning from the Farm and I'm sorry this month's podcast is later than normal!

I had to film this episode twice, the first time I sat down to edit and the audio on mum's microphone was broken.

Talking points this month:

03:20 Tommy's first litter and the new piglets

05:00 A sulking / pregnant pig

05:50 Cow drama from the previous time we sat down

07:00 Livestock deadstock – the realities of farming

08:50 Our infamous June video

09:50 A Calming Farming moment of mowing

10:00 Haymaking is a craft

11:50 Kids allowed chewing gum during haymaking

12:30 There's good quality fodder and "rubbish"

14:20 Feeding straw to the cows for the first time ever

15:00 Nature always provides

15:50 Stories from the countryside

17:00 Saving the nice soap - am I the only one?

20:00 Questions!

20:40 What happened to Eric the teaser Ram?

23:20 How can a 30 year old mum of 3 get involved in farming

Thank you for watching and supporting our farm. If you'd like to learn more, or stay in touch – please visit https://www.flankfarm.com/

Good Morning from the Farm to Episode 28 of our monthly podcast.

Chapters:

00:20 – Talking about the farm dogs

02:35 – Ru's 'nice' dinner visit to the farm

03:25 – How mum buys a NEW tractor

05:10 – Going through the tractors on the farm

06:00 – Our darling Massey tractor

10:10 – Reputation is a real currency in rural communities like farming

14:20 – How important neighbors are to farmers

15:00 – "You can't get away from work" on farms

16:00 – Tragic number of suicides in farming communities

18:30 – Ru's offer to anyone in farming that's feeling "down in the dumps"! (This is a REAL offer).

19:00 – #calmingfarming about Lambing

20:00 – Mum watches latest video

21:00 – Who helps on the farm?

26:00 – What are the cows licking in the videos?

27:45 – The cows have been let our for summer!

29:00 – Weather update

31:00 – #calmingfarming about Cows going out

To join in with the podcast – submit your questions, feedback, ideas, drawings, jokes... or anything else: https://tally.so/r/mZ8q2v

For Email updates, subscribe: https://www.flankfarm.com/newsletter/

The lambs are out, and we're back in the barn for Episode 27 of our Podcast! Here's the running order:

01:00 How's the lambing going?

01:30 Percentage of lambs / sheep that mum has to assist with.

02:30 A right racket in the barn

02:50 Mum's weird sayings

06:00 Lambing outside is for young people

07:30 You have to do what works for you during lambing!

08:40 Lambing at night!

09:40 Calming Farming videos every few weeks 10:50 Spending time down in the barn at night

12:45 Shout out to ladies who lamb on Facebook

13:30 A lot of challenges this year

14:50 How is mum feeling in herself?16:05 You want to keep them alive!19:00 Are there too many sheep this year?21:00 Summing up lambing in 2023 For the latest from the farm, receive the new Calming Farming videos and to join in – subscribe to our newsletter over at https://www.flankfarm.com/

Welcome back to the barn for Episode 26 of our Podcast! Firstly we'd all love to wish you a very Happy Easter from us all at the farm; in this episode we discuss:

00:00 Looking at the new animals with Ru

01:30 Mum enters the podcast

03:00 Growing potatoes

04:50 Eat seasonal produce

07:10 Why does mum start lambing late?

07:20 Oh my goodness

09:00 Lambing depends a lot... on a lot of factors

10:30 A little lamb to watch on camera

10:45 How is Aubrey the bull getting on?

11:15 Sunrise on the Farm Segment

12:10 Mum cooking the evening meal at 5am

13:00 Would you like to watch night lambing?

16:00 What story would you like to see told about lambing?

17:30 So far we've had 11 lambs

18:50 Does caring make you a good farmer?

19:30 Mum is a control freak!

20:45 Is mum happy with Aubrey's calves?

21:00 Happy Easter everyone!

For the latest from the farm and to join in – subscribe to our newsletter over at https://www.flankfarm.com/

Episode 25 of the Good Morning from the Farm Podcast.  

Thanks for tuning in. Skip to the timestamps: 

00:28 - Snow Forecast in the UK 

01:29 - Pigs didn't go in with Tommy (yet) 

03:00 - New Farmstream Camera gifted to Mum 

04:00 - Stick it up there now 

04:33 - When do we start lambing? 

05:45 - Ru fainting video experience 

06:37 - How are the sheds for muck? 

06:50 - Pigs going in next week 

08:30 - Vintage fodder beet machine won't chop Diddly squat

11:10 - Difference between a Spade and a Shovel? 

12:10 - Ru's buying some lambs 

13:26 - Can a farm just butcher animals on premises? 

16:00 - Got new chickens!  

17:17 - What mum thinks about quirks video. 

17:30 - Thoughts on Downsizing the farm. 

19:00 - Trying to 'go grassfed' farm 

20:30 - The help mum has on the farm 

23:40 - Ru's stand on Microwaves  

This video was not sponsored, but thank you to Farmstream for sending us a new camera and being so supportive about the fire on the farm!  For Email updates, subscribe: https://www.flankfarm.com/

What you can expect from your time listening to our time spent on the farm. 

Keeping it short and sweet for our February '23 podcast.

01:10 Great News about the TB test

02:30 Is construction affecting TB cases?

04:10 Great prices at the cattle market

05:00 3 New Tamworth Pigs (Gilts)

06:30 Melton Mowbray Farmers Market

06:40 Littering the Cows during Winter

08:30 Sheep scanning results for lambing

11:00 Thanks for watching + see you soon

Happy New Year!  Start as we mean to go on... by making this installment very late, because I left the farm without the memory cards! Oh well, it was still an upbeat and positive morning – we discuss:   

00:00 Happy New Year and welcome to 2023 

03:30 New Herdwicks that nobody noticed 

05:40 Podcasting in a barn is unique / stressful 

06:30 Babybell the new Farm Terrier 

08:10 Jonathan is still here 

09: 10 Christmas is a lot of pressure 

10:30 What TV shows should we watch together? 

13:20 Mum's new year reflections  

For Email updates, subscribe: https://www.flankfarm.com/

This morning we discussed:

00:50 - The beautiful morning of weather (as we always do).

01:10 - The bullock calves are still outside

02:20 - Mum hasn't sold many of her lambs

03:00 - A lot of the lambs aren't ready because of the grass

05:10 - Farmers getting good grades for their stock at market

06:50 - Costs are rising for small farms

08:10 - The GOOD NEWS

09:10 - The story of the barn (from the start)

09:47 - Mum meeting a contractor

11:30 - Keeping positive when the weather is turning in the UK

12:40 - Mum prays for patience

13:00 - More haste, Less speed

14:00 Slow is smooth and smooth is fast

15:15 - Ru shopping with a chef

17:30 - We sold some meat boxes

23:00 - Farmers and mental health

And of course, and as always – we wish you a very warm Good Morning from the Farm.  

Good Morning from the Farm! We sit down in the barn with the cows to catchup on all that's happened since October. TB Testing, Barn Insurance Issues and Hedgelaying.

Good Morning from the Farm! Out in the field we discussed changing seasons, going organic, and mum's fond memories of dairy farming.   

00:32 - Mum loves autumn 

02:38 - Jonathan in with the girls again! 

04:40 - Mum tying gates up with string 

07:27 - Jonathan nice quiet bull 

08:40 - Selling heifer's

09:53 - Grassfed beef 

13:54 - Selling privately after 30 months old 

15:23 - Can the farm go organic? 

17:53 - Buying organic rams 

18:55 - How are the chickens? 

21:27 - Can mum guess the breed from the video 

22:27 - Talking about Dairy cows

Here are some of the things we discussed on this months podcast:

0:20 Mum didn't know she was being filmed

1:40 The land is very dry

3:20 Arable farmers struggling to plough the ground

4:30 Fires on farms and in fields

6:00 Our barn set on fire at the farm

9:30 Mum had the "stuffing knocked out of her"

12:20 We use the Help X platform

13:30 Family BBQs

14:50 Bucks County Show

22:20 Ru's neglected youth

23:40 Ru's fainting video

25:40 Calves are in trouble from their mums

26:10 Mum's happy decisions on haymaking and land management

27:20 Nature usually provides

32:00 Tell me you own sheep, without telling me you own sheep

33:00 Old fashioned saying... anyone know what she's saying?

34:30 Stanley White Stripe our new Doberman

36:15 Showing mum a TikTok

39:00 When's the next podcast coming out?

39:30 Thank you to everyone!

I kept mum occupied for more than 10 minutes...  I've never known anyone look more uncomfortable when seated.   

This morning we spoke about the Spring video – Peppa the pig – and the new calves... We also excitedly answered questions from you.  

Chapters: 00:00 

Good Morning 01:25 

Spring video 

03:30 Farms fixing and reusing 

05:15 Pig update 

08:00 Bottle lambs 

12:30 Grass growing again 

15:00 Mum's not an arable farmer 

16:55 Beautiful cows  

20:00 Questions from you 

20:30 Advice for a young shepherd 

22:20 What breeds of sheep and tups are we keeping 

24:40 Lleyn sheep breed 

26:20 Is your mum always as relaxed? 

29:18 How are the geese? 

31:55 How often do you question it all? 

34:00 How has Brexit changed farm life? 

36:15 How long has the farm been in the family history?  

Join us on the farm at – https://www.flankfarm.com/

This morning we discuss how lambing is going for mum, the progress Ru has made with selling farm produce direct and what's just around the corner in Spring.  

Chapters: 

00:00 Let's talk farming 

02:24 Lambing has mellowed mum out 

03:40 How's lambing going? 

04:10 First Ewe cesarean in 10 years 

05:40 Another Ewe cesarean 

07:00 How much is a cesarean on a sheep? 

08:40 Spring special coming soon! 

09:15 We got a farmstream camera! 

11:30 Ru's master plan 

12:00 Ru I need you to sell a cow! 

13:50 Join us https://www.flankfarm.com/shop/ 

18:50 Spring is here! 

19:15 Blackthorn winter 

20:40 Tommy Tamworth update 

21:20 Jack the Oxford Sandy and Black

For the fist time since starting, mum didn't want to chat this morning.  

Not for everyone, mum talks about one of her cows aborting twin calves...  It's not been an easy week at the farm, but this is what these chats are all about.   

Chapters:  

0:00 Introduction 

1:40 Twin Calves Dead 

08:45 Careful with lambs and Pneumonia 

12:00 Glad and Sorry 

16:00 Sleep in the barn 

17:20 Farming Dictionary 

19:20 Sheep Scanning

Good morning from the Farm. Lambing has started, not how we might have hoped, but we're moving in the right direction.

It was a Good Morning, we talked about the new boar, the snow and hatched a plan for this years filming – would love to know what you're excited for us to show in 2021!

It was a Good Morning, we talked about Goats, Bird Flu and an old farming Gentleman called Gerald Dancer!  What do you think… shall we get goats?

How did the scanning go?  

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction 

00:40 The cows have a cough 

03:10 Staying positive during lambing 

04:45 Sheep Scanning Results 

06:45 Sheep in the garden 

07:30 Preparing sheep for lambing 

07:45 Feeding sheep for lambing 

09:00 Sheep are cheap(er) 

09:50 Sheep more profitable than cows 

11:45 Pig update 

12:50 Admin to sell meat 

13:50 Importance of the butcher 

15:00 Jamie Oliver fan 

16:20 When someone brings you a rabbit 

19:30 Gestation of a pig 

20:20 Lockdown Piglets 

21:00 When does lambing start? 

21:50 Close

What's your New Years resolution then?  

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction 

00:45 Rufus the townie 

01:45 Positive news 

02:30 Christmas 

04:45 Reaction to Xmas special 

05:55 Pig clothes 

06:30 Ear tag technique 

07:30 Happy New Year 

08:30 COVID affected farming 

09:00 New years resolutions 

13:00 Meat as a luxury 

15:30 Butchers  

17:15 How are the animals? 

18:15 Hobbley sheep 

19:30 Broadway sheep 

21:20 Chicken monologue 

22:30 Joe Stanley's Longhorns 

23:30 Tommy's new mates

Good morning (and Merry Christmas) from the farm!

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

01:30 Take 2

04:10 Christmas prep

06:00 Shin of beef

6:45 Selling our own beef

09:30 Cooking your turkey

11:20 What’s a good farmer to mum?

15:00 Promoting Denne Engineering Co

15:30 How to start in farming

Chapters:

00:00 – Introduction

00:37 – Opinions on Bolus video

01:55 – Why does livestock need a bolus?

03:30 – Cattle get used to the crush

05:55 – Lambing percentages not great

07:05 – Cow Scratching

07:15 – Why do farmers get subsidies?

09:40 – Single farm payments

11:10 – Farming environmental grants

12:15 – Subsidies to farmers NOT land owners?

14:20 – Are subsidies a good thing?

15:55 – Why we worry about mum

16:55 – How many cows does mum have?

18:35 – What if we closed down the farm?

20:10 – Shall we do a farm tour?

21:10 – Mum loves Dexter cattle

23:00 – Dexters are little sods

24:30 – Mum goes shopping

In this episode we dive into some unfamiliar lingo (Hoggets) and go through what on earth made mum get into the farming business in the first place.

The ducks got eaten by the fox... 

Sorry just needed to get that out there.

This week we talk all about markets, selling meat locally and the ducks getting eaten by the fox. Let us know what you think.

This is the very first in a new series of conversations between 2 generations. Farmer (mum) and digital marketer (son).

Find out what to do when you find eggs hidden in random places, what's happened to the live markets, and how people used to eat meat compared to now.