Gerald Potterton farms tillage and some beef at Kildalkey, Co Meath. \Jack Caffrey
Today, I’d like to broaden your mind. But my column this week also carries a health warning – you may feel slightly despondent after reading it, but I’ll do my best to tell you this story as sensitively as I can.
Most tillage farmers – perhaps all farmers – aspire to grow in size. Now I know, more often than not, it makes dubious sense to increase in scale, but it is, as I say, the lot of most farmers. If you have 200ac of tillage, you may feel that 400ac is the optimum.
Brian Nicholson on his farm in Johnstown, Co Kilkenny.
The wet, gloomy weather over the last few weeks perhaps reflects the mood of the country at present. I have found this lockdown more challenging than the last. The children are at home for school, as is Alison.
They miss their friends and we miss the social interactions with others too. Home-schooling, even with a teacher in the house, is challenging, as we all try to juggle work and helping them out. It has been difficult with the evenings being dark and the weather has curtailed activities. Normally before lambing starts, I usually get a short break away from the farm and feel well rested before the busy period of lambing begins. Unfortunately, not this year. Cabin fever has well and truly set in.