We are currently shrouded in a beautiful sea of russet, orange and purple here at Charisworth as the trees enter the autumn fall period. 

It’s quite a spectacle and merits the name “Autumn Glory”.

I’ve also seen plenty of red berries on the holly bushes on the farm which old wives’ tales suggest is an indication of a harsh winter ahead so there’s plenty to do before the cold and wet sets in.

Top of that list is improving the access for the Teddy Rocks Festival 2018 and there are plans to put in a hardcore walkway from the car park to the main field via a field that is very susceptible to the wet we need to complete this imminently. 

We are also catching up on necessary fencing repairs whilst the ground is dry enough so we don’t make too much mess of the fields.

As temperatures change we are keeping an eye on pneumonia in the calves. 

All our young stock are housed so we need to maintain good ventilation without them getting cold. With indoor animals the straw must also be as dust free as possible. 

Calf numbers are currently 100 and recently we have had new groups of calves arriving from different sources, which also intensifies the risk of any viruses/bacterial infections spreading. 

Calves suffering from pneumonia do display clinical signs and treatment is effective but growth rates are reduced and the increased labour requirements and costs of treatment make it something that we do our best to manage effectively as we can.

The pig maternity unit continues to be busy with Doris is due to farrow in November and “Pig” is due to have her piglets weaned off. 

Golden Pig Roasts are also attending the Wimborne Food Festival on 21st October which was a great event last year.
We have now drilled the winter wheat and will be keeping an eye out for any slug invasions.

Slugs can be a big problem on a slow growing crop such as wheat, especially in wet conditions where there has been rotation with Oil Seed Rape. 

This can be controlled with pellets and the most effective time to apply these are immediately after drilling so it’s a case of monitoring before it is too late! 

We continue to be busy with our log trade and a reminder that as we look to Christmas if you have not yet organised your Christmas lunch why not try a traditional bronze farm reared Charisworth Turkey?

Please do contact us via our facebook page for either log or Turkey enquiries: facebook.com/charisworthfarm.