Categories: From the Farm This Week
      Date: Oct 31, 2012
     Title: 31 October 2012
Well what weather and this is just the start. The sweet chestnuts still have no leaves but the minute they show the spuds will be in the ground, as we did have two frosts this week that finished the tomatoes that were planted out. So they are now replanted with new heritage ones from the Nashinui stand at the Taranaki Farmers market. The birds sure know it’s time for the good weather - as fast as we clean out the nests under the bonnets of the vehicles and down the chimney they work and work to rebuild them. We light the fire every night as that’s how we get our hot water and the Pyroclassic is real good but not so with a starling nest blocking the top.

Today I was shifting stock as I do daily and this mob of about 300 ewes and lambs had to come out the gate down the road and into another gate out of sight at the other corner of the road, as Makuri Road runs thru the farm. I was about to open the gate and a farmer from up the road stopped. "Gidday john need a hand where is your help and no dog". With that I said "Watch this" and opened the gate. His jaw dropped "john how you going to get them out of there and once they are how you going to hold them". So I gave a call COME ON TIME TO MOVE and out the gate they ran down the road about a kilometre and into the next paddock. "WELL I’ve seen nothing like it, are they pets or something John". No just well trained and worked with, all of our stock are like this, this is their home as well and they know the farm. So shaking his head he drove off. You know calm happy stress free stock make great meat.

Talking of meat Friday morning I was up 2.30am loading for the Fielding Farmers Market. Jamie turned up at 3 and off we went getting to Fielding Square at 6.30am first on site. We did stop at the only place open for a coffee, MacDonalds, I had for the first time a burger. Well you have to try everything once, but I will be taking some farm food for the next trip. With the stall holders starting to come we got the welcome committee come and look us over along with the local health officer. It was great, a real hillbilly welcome. I have to say this market is very well organised and I can easily see why it got the farmers market award with such a good management team. I will be assisting them all I can as we really need to get both Rare Breeds and certified Organic farming out there.

Saturday night we went out to a concert, a folk singer and comedian Martin Pearson playing at the old Pukengahu School. A great night with a great group of people. Had to get away at 11 as I had the Market the next day and up at 5. Who needs sleep anyway Ha (I think I will next week).

The Taranaki Farmers Market was a ripper, lots of tourist’s visiting the region for the garden trail. Met some lovely people from Auckland who just loved Taranaki. Greg called in as did Janine and many friends. It’s a great place to shop and stop and next week we will be closing the road (Currie Street) again as we do every year.

It was great to see the rail carts going past, bring some life into the railway. If you want to know more about this I have pamphlets on my stand.

Today I got some goats in to send off for our new lines of meat and in the cattle our MT Galloway cow has a well-marked calf. So not an empty cow at all this year at Avonstour. Unlike some conventional farms that have huge %.