Categories: From the Farm This Week
Date: May 14, 2014
Title: 14 May 2014
Well all the farmers were asking for rain .......well you can stop asking now.....The majority of the Feijoas have fallen or been beaten from the bushes. The European wild pigs are heavily rooting up the paddocks and that's with full nose rings... The ground is that soft from all the wet.
It is over a week now since I started being sick with Ila's bug she picked up ...After two days in bed i just had to get up to sort stuff to get to the South Island for the Rare Breeds AGM. While I was down Terry the Wwoofer got it and then my mother in town as Ila had called there. I have to say its the sickest I've been for over 30 years. So i was worried about my mother who is 83 she is taking a long time to come right like me but is on the mend now.
But we managed to get packed and on the road at 6.30 Friday and off to the AGM loaded up to the gunnels with gear, cages, sheep crate (in case we seen something we liked) and off to pick Arron up at 8 in Wanganui driving into the town receiving a text .. Just seen you drive past on the way to taking the kids to school, see you in 10 ...so then loading up with food, suit cases and more cages we hit the road to meet Wally Richards. This is the first time Wally and I have met after many emails. This is the Gardener Wally who puts out a weekly email we swap.
His first comment HA" John you are not as tall as your emails HAA ...Good guy if you want his emails let me know. After dropping the trailer at Ruamati we got to the ferry about half an hour early ...It was all good I have to say I was worried as Wally told us the propeller dropped off the day before. But thy heard we were coming and worked all night to get a new one on ..seemed ta work alright on the crossing so the number 8 wire held fine and we made it before dark ...I did get some good photos of Awapawa Island from the ferry as I had not been down there for over 25 years and I had not a photo.
Landing in Picton the weather was fine and still daylight but it soon became dark and a light drizzle and driving was hard but after near 3 hours got to Motueka via Nelson and into the Top Ten motor site. I can tell you I was pretty had it with this bug dragging me down.
The following day we were on the road having a look around before the AGM at Ngatimoti past all the large and small vineyards, orchards, sign's out on the roads, fresh milk for sale, veg gardens, Ummmm no large dairy or factory farms. The odd fergi 24 on the road.. well a real nice place, missed the local Farmers Market but I bet it was a good one with all these small farm businesses around.
The AGM went well with a great mix of topics of interest..... the Committee reinstated ..This was the 25th AGM and I was at the first one (wow seems like yesterday).
After the meeting we had a fantastic talk and DVD about the Kaimanawa horses the photography was fantastic as was the talk.
That evening we went to the oldest pub in New Zealand, the Moutere Inn, where the Guest speaker a renown local poet Cliff Fell, talked and re-sited poetry, told jokes ..Was a great night a good catch up for us all.
Phone call back to Ila on the farm told me the other 3 girls woofing were down with the bug ........Great ,
The following day we were up early and on the road looking around the first stop was at the Neudorf Dairy complete with dairy factory and farm shop. Now this was a sheep milking farm milking mainly East Freisian sheep and some Awassi x breeds. Making fantastic cheeses and yogurts.
From there we went to the new farm park.. Animal Farm ...Established only 8 weeks... very fast development , filled with fat and healthy animals, new tracks, a large new car park and it was Full unbelievably full. The day of the looking at animals is back at least down there.
Monday the long trip back to the ferry and home. I got home shattered still not over the bug. If anyone tells you don't worry its the 24 hour bug THUMP him while you can as it will take another week to get the strength.