I think January felt like an extra-long, dull month for a lot of us but we're faring ok on the farm weather wise this winter. We've avoided any heavy snowfall and storms, touch wood. 

So to the livestock. the sheep flock should hopefully all be in lamb. We keep them well-fed and in good health in the build-up to lambing time. The sheep will be pregnancy scanned next week and then sorted into groups based on how many lambs they're going to have and the condition they're in. The twins and triplets (hopefully not too many triplets due) will be topped up with organic sheep feed, made from cereals, every day for six weeks, right up until lambing in April. 

We now have around 30 Blue Grey cattle and 40 Belted Galloways grazing the farmland. Blue Greys are a crossbreed of two other native breeds - a Black Galloway cow and a White Shorthorn bull. They are typically hardy and slow-growing, producing high-quality beef, and can cope with the cold snaps of weather. 

The second phase of tree planting is underway in our wood-pasture creation project. The saplings from last winter have done well and we're seeing signs of new buds, which is a hopeful signal for the year ahead. 

Pete