2021 landed without really presenting itself, everything being very subdued in this corner of the Country along with other pockets which was soon to be joined by the rest, so it all became a bit deja-vu. With luck and a bit of good fortune, with the vaccine roll-out perhaps things will become different and all those essential workers in whichever capacity will finally be able to draw breath again, our thanks and ore really do go out to them.
January is normally the month that fencing, ditching and other remedial work are carried out. The Romney Marsh has been drained since the Roman times and it is essential that dykes and ditches are maintained. The dykes known as sewers are cleaned and reeds are cut by the internal drainage board whom we pay according to how many we have on our own farmland. This enables the water to drain into the canal which is then pumped out to sea, it used to be at Hythe and Rye however a new cut was built when Hythe could no longer cope, and this now goes out at Dymchurch. Each farm is responsible for the smaller ditches, these are normally dug out from time to time to ensure that the land drains are not under the mud. The drainage pipes can be cleaned with a waterjet to ensure they run free. This is a particularly wet and muddy job as it entails pushing a stout hose up a pipe, then sucking water from the ditch and finally blasting the mud out. Not a job where there are normally too many volunteers, to date this year we have dug out ditches, but no jetting has occurred yet.
Fences are essential if one is to avoid stock being where they should not be. Sheep are notorious for getting out through the smallest gap and taking the rest of the flock along with them. Copious quantities of fence and barb wire are purchased to try and rectify any problems, preferably before they occur.
The sheep have now all been scanned with a realistic percentage with babies, which is lovely news as last year was a little lean on the food front as grass was rather lacking due to the very warm Summer. They are now supplemented by homegrown oats and all await eagerly the quadbike and oat spreader behind it which dispenses their breakfast. Mineral buckets are also an additional supplement to their diet to keep them in good health, vitamins and minerals are as essential for them as it is to us.
The cattle have all bee in their yards now since November/December and clocks and watches are unnecessary at 7am and then again at 4.30pm when they start letting us know that is it Breakfast/Supper time. Once they hear the loader coming with the barley, its sound deafening, a bit like a crescendo played by an orchestra. We are also still sending cattle to market most weeks and prices remain fairly good which is encouraging.
The weather is still somewhat wet, raining mud in the farmyard and it is not the place to walk around in anything other than wellies or waders. The children think it is wonderful but then children and mud have always been happy soulmates.