Our environment, ourselves
Image: SChrist
Here in the UK, it was the long weekend we get for Easter holidays, which really means it’s about being outdoors and gardening. Luckily, the weather cooperated for a change here on this rainy island, and we went to the recycling centre with lots of items from the back garden. Sometimes our garden is less about the green stuff and more about archaeology, but still, things were cleared and the lawn was mowed (doesn’t get done often, but I do enjoy it). Lots of lovely flowers in bloom. The bees were going nuts over the hebe. They will move onto the jasmine soon.
I dragged the child out of his comfortable seat and once again, we did outdoors things such as going to the local ecology park and sawing wood, plus there was bird identification and some quality time away from the screens for us all. With children, this is a key item – they want to be outdoors more often, but they are often hooked up to a screen now, staring at YouTube and Instagram, Snapchat and Discord. The portable screens entertain them but the result is, not a lot of Vitamin D and social interaction with real people. So, my idea is to just drag him out and see what happens. What happened last time is, he wanted to go and volunteer again.
The rain as we all see is getting to everyone, including the cows. I heard on Farming Today on BBC4 this morning that the soaked ground means that cows aren’t going onto the grass yet, which makes sense. Also means that seeds aren’t getting planted. We did get some planting done, in raised beds that I filled with a lot of compost. I figure it can’t do any worse than where I’ve planted in the ground, and then we get a fair bit of attrition, before harvesting a lonely parsnip.
Speaking of growing, our Expo is seeing a fair bit of growth, unlike the allotment. The second hall has been opened and there has been a lot of interest in the only dairy industry show that focuses just on dairy processing in all its glorious aspects. From supply to retail, there will be something for everyone at the International Cheese & Dairy Expo in Stafford, UK on 27 June. Come for a visit, to hear some useful presentations, and some cheese.
- Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
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Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine
