Brrr – I have survived my first winter without the remote use of an electric blanket whatsoever – stunning scenery all the time even if you do get cold toes…

Well with Winter well and truly making its mark, it is nice to cosy up with friends for some warmth

perhaps its time to lay off the Mince pies LOL

well the weather has changed yet again and wet feet have returned to ice buckets. so time for making more homemade pies – Farmers pies with everything in it!

bake the base blind using old crusts

leave the top for later

cook up all the pie ingredients and put into the dish

add the pie top and cook in the oven ready for the cold winter nights and – hey presto…

last year I wrote this poem and this year which has so much ahead for us all, I still think it apt to welcome February to one and all.. 2018 has come in the same way…

2017 came in with a blast and a roar
Wet, mizzy January we have now shown the door
Did you achieve anything in it? Or did you just moan?
Did you just sit warm and cosy in your little home?
Life is for living and making things matter
Time for friends of course but not all for natter
Take up the reins and show February the way
Waste not one minute, one hour or one day
Welcome your friends, new friends, nature, your life
Don’t get bogged down with others strife
Walk in the woods, breathe some fresh air
Show February it matters and that you care
The months pass too quickly and time passes you by
All of a sudden a loved one will die
Today is the start of a new month in a new year
Somebody somewhere will lose someone dear
If it is to be you and you will never know
Make sure that for each day you have had something to show
Something to live for, something to do and to say
And that you do not let February pass the same way.

I have to say that January intends leaving the UK like a Lions roar leaves its mark – the weather is challenging to say the least.

There is a song “if I knew you were coming I would have baked a cake” well, I don’t bake cakes, friends bring them round instead but I did find time to do one of my Farmers All pies recently.

You simply make short crust pastry and throw everything in that is warming when its cold!

Meantime with the gales having brought trees down, we have been busy as well as the all herd husbandry toenails and essential Vitamin ADE injections.

one supplier of ADE in the UK for livestock has ceased supplying to you have to order in advance. no problem with our Vets – George Vets at Malmesbury as they got them in for us in November 2017!

that’s reliability and organisation for you!

We have been working hard through the winter on our Alpaca products and will be launching our new range soon.

We are just waiting for the lovely Hannah and our other models to do the final photo shoot on a sunny day – might be a bit of a wait at this rate!

meantime – here is the lovely Hannah modelling some of our Alpaca clothing

Congratulations to the One Show who introduced their Walking program by concluding the show with the appearance of an Alpaca and a Llama together. Looked like Vicki and Chris to me but did not hear an introduction so well done to them too. That is the names of the humans by the way.

This should also dispel the crazy theories about Llama being “hard nosed” and Alpaca softer – see the joke below – they are both equably calm and sensible characters with the right handling!

Kensmyth have been members of the British Llama Society for many years now and we love a Llama too!

We have been looking back at some of the “best photos” that demonstrate issues you can have with Alpaca even when you think everything is all right… have a look at these and see if you can spot what is required?

  photo 1 – Show Alpaca requires Eyes trimming so she can see!

  photo 2 – barned cria due to premature birth needed carrying to field

photo 3 very premature cria needed coat and bottle feeding

How did you do?

It was with sadness we learnt of the inhumane killing of pregnant and new born Alpaca this week by human hand. One wonders what kind of mentality the person (s) who did it has. However, it is a well known national fact that at a different level – Rural Crime is on the increase.

Congratulations, thank you and well done to our Gloucestershire Police who had long ago teamed up with Countryside Groups and organised a Rural Crime Awareness Day for Gloucestershire area. Kensmyth, supporting their Force and keeping abreast of what is going on in the Countryside as well as innovative security ideas, attended. It was by invitation only to Gloucestershire Farmers and those living in Rural areas; as well as those involved (as we are) in Neighbourhood watch schemes helping others.

It was a challenging drive in the Snow to the location but my 22 year old 4 x 4 found her way through for me! It was extremely busy and with our Alpaca tucked up in Barns for what I think was the worst Sunday weather I have seen for ages, I popped out to bring myself up to speed on the “latest” in our County. I did not stay long but spoke to each stall holder individually and caught up with many Farming friends too  – here is what was on offer:

Rural crime awareness day, order of speakers.

09:40 Police Inspector for the Cotswolds, Karen Ellis.

09:50 PC Ashley Weller, Rural, Environmental and Wildlife Crime Officer.

10:00 Roshan Patel, Community Alert. A new police information sharing platform.

10:10 National Farmers Union.

10:30 British Deer Society, H.A.D, Humane Animal Dispatch and Firearms licensing.

10:50 NGO, National Game Keepers organisation.

11:10 Jackson’s Fencing, specialists in farm barriers and gates.

11:20 Lighthouse Security. Security products for remote locations, farm buildings and the use of drones.

11:35 Datatag, Cesar, agricultural machinery security specialist.

12:00 Cantrack, machinery and vehicle tracking.

12:20 Environment Agency. Fish poaching.

12:35 Barn Owl Trust and Raptors.

12:50 Night vision and thermal optics, display video and products on sale.

13:05 BASC, British Association for Shooting and Conservation.

13:25 Forestry Commission, Wild Boar issues, prevention and dealing with them.

13:30 PC Ashley Weller, rural crime update.

this past week and this week end has been challenging weather for any farmer – as the Cotswolds saw rain, snow and sunshine once again…

One of the wonders of Alpaca is that if you do the research at the outset, you can produce the results in your breeding – consistently. We aim for large, quality fleece producing Alpaca that are true to type. We are a closed herd, a closed farm open only by appointment to visitors and our Biosecurity is also consistent.

One thing that is often said is quite simply “superb healthy Alpaca, clean paddocks, excellent fencing” and I think this is best shown in our choice of genetics at the outset and staying with them – if it aint broke – why fix it!

Here is one of our stud boys in a field of others, looking at his son across in another paddock – Two peas in a Pod!

which is more than can be said for the weather!