This is our driest January to date with just 26mm of rain falling. This picture shows that although the pond levels have risen at this time they should be around 60cm higher, nearly touching the lifebelt.

This has given us chance to get on with yet more muck spreading and we are now onto the maize stubble on the Rancho with the aim of finishing and then getting it ploughed as soon as possible so if we do get a wet spring it won’t delay planting quite so long.

Also since just before Christmas we have been joined by Josh from Greenbank School. Josh hopes to go to Reaseheath collage later this year and is doing a one day a week works experience with us until May.

Rather camera shy though he is here he is studying our smaller loader tractor.

The shed building continues and we are now putting the side cladding on the two sections we have put up and these two pictures show Sean welding on the “cleats” to carry the timber and next the part sheeted side.

Once it dries up and is not below freezing we hope to start on the walls which will be built up to meet the cladding.

Next month we hope to put up another section (weather permitting)

Simon as followers of the site will know is studying at Myerscough collage and part of the course is soil science he along with fellow student Nat are taking samples ready for analysis.

Here he is in action using a special sampling tool which takes a “core” of soil for analysis. Simon is sampling the Milestone field and Nat the Middle Meadow.

These are two quite different fields and when all the results are in we aim to put them on the site.

Two calving's this month both difficult and regretfully neither calf surviving one backwards and dead on arrival the other slow calving and only living for a day despite our best efforts.

The end of February will see me attending the National Farmers Union conference at Birmingham which could prove interesting.

Finally Don't forget to vist our Nature Page

That's it for this month regards Phil