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Montrose Dairy Blog

2011-08-19T14:43:00.002+10:00

Check out our Montrose Dairy Blog.

Silage season at last!

2010-11-15T18:36:00.001+11:00

After months of wet paddocks we have finally had a chance to get some silage in.

With a 48hr window we managed to knock down 50ha and get it into a stack before the rain started again.

With our silage pit floor very cut up due to the wet season all our silage will be stored in stacks this year.

The end result approx. 240 t DM.
We will be making plenty more silage this year though, with all the surplus grass we have.

Home @ Hoddle

2010-08-09T20:20:00.001+10:00

We are getting towards the end of our calving season at home on the farm.

Calving a herd of dairy cows down through one of the wettest winters for many years has really brought me back down to earth after my Nuffield travels.

Crossbreeding in action!

Everyone of these calves contain the genetics of at least 3 different dairy breeds. Holstein, Jersey, Scandinavian Red Breed and Montbeliarde all represented here.

Due to a great autumn season (and excellent management in my absence) we went into this winter with higher pasture covers than we have for a long time. Our average pasture cover at start of calving was 2900kgDM/ha, the girls (cows) have done a great job and we have managed to keep post grazing residuals below 1650kgDM/ha. These high pasture covers have been very beneficial in helping us manage the wet soils this winter (lots of leaf on top-lots of roots below holding the soil together).

Lets hope there is some gold in dairy this season!!

Raglan-NZ

2010-07-08T22:14:00.003+10:00

I spent a memorable day with a DairyNZ discussion group at Raglan. Many members of this group were looking at once a day milking as an option for the drying season they were facing.

After the discussion group I visited the NZ surf mecca Raglan, complete with kiwi black sand.

After a farm visit I had to check out the "little waterfall" down the road!

New Zealand's Future Cows

2010-07-08T21:54:00.001+10:00

Back to the beginning of my Nuffield Travels.
Late last year I began my Nuffield travels with a couple of weeks in New Zealand.
A week on each island was a great test run for my travels.

Hamilton NZ Super P farm trial herd run by DairyNZ.
The cows in this herd have been selected to typify Kiwi cows in 10 years time. This trial aims to convert more sunshine into dry matter from existing farm area, with higher producing forages meeting the demands and potential of the future high producing herd.

This herd was put together by selecting top genetic merit cows from across the North Island, they have a BW (breeding worth) of almost double the NZ average.

In order to meet the huge appetite of the high merit cows chicory is being trialed to fill a late summer feed gap.

Stockholm to Hoddle- Australia

2010-06-15T21:24:00.002+10:00

After a few days in Stockholm may Nuffield trip is nearly over.

Skansen open air Museum in Stockholm was the worlds first open air museum, the collection contains rural buildings from throughout Sweden, a great way to help understand Swedish ag. history.

From Sweden we returned to the UK for a few days before taking to the sky again (for the 28th time on my Nuffield adventure).

As I travelled through New Zealand for my Nuffield project late last year I will post a few photos from this trip soon.

Time to be tourists

2010-06-08T21:16:00.001+10:00

After some long days on the road in the last week, many farm and uni. visits the boys were happy to have Daddy back to be a tourist with them for a few days.

Uppsala Botanical Gardens and the Uppsala Castle.

Don't ever visit Stockholm in the summer without a visit to Stikki Nikki's Ice Cream Stall!!!!

Gamla Stan (The old Town) Stockholm

Got to love Swedish Design

2010-06-08T20:52:00.002+10:00

Uppsala

The global icon of Sweden

I've tried to drive a local car throughout my study tour in Sweden we had a choice Volvo or Saab, looks like the boys were happy with the Saab.

Even the water tower has a touch of style!

Robots on the way

2010-06-07T20:28:00.002+10:00

This herd have some big changes to adapt to in the next few weeks as they are about to move into a robotic milking parlour.

After visiting over 30 dairy farms on four continents this is the first time I've seen shiny new stainless steel being installed this season. The low international dairy market of 2008-9 appears to have put a lot of plans on hold.

Pastures waiting to dry out to begin the seasons silage harvest.

Swedish Organics

2010-06-07T20:09:00.002+10:00

Newly developed organic dairy in Sweden

Modern housing facility is home to the herd every day of the year with the cows going out to pasture for at least 5 hrs a day for 3 months of the year.

Large feed mixer wagon used mix the herds feed ration.

Swedish Dairy Farming

2010-06-04T18:46:00.001+10:00

My farms visits in Sweden will have a focus on Swedish Red Cows (SRB), a dairy breed which has been bred for many years with a strong focus on longevity.

Visiting "Juby Farm" the home of some of Sweden's best cow genetics.

The Swedish dairy cows have to be put out on to pasture for three months of the year so these cows have some capacity to graze pasture and produce.

Aussies Vs the Vikings

2010-06-03T18:13:00.000+10:00

Very wet crops in southern Sweden

Looks like the Aussie kids will out number the Vikings this time.

4 countries in one day

2010-06-01T06:16:00.000+10:00

Big day on the road.
Autobahn, Ferry, Really Big Bridge (7km) and Tunnel under the Sea.

Driving in Netherlands it often looks like you are driving into a blender.

Ferry crossing from Germany to Denmark

They're everywhere.

Netherlands-Windmills & Bikes

2010-05-31T05:44:00.000+10:00

Windmills & Bikes is the stereotype and that's what we saw.

No lycra to be seen, practical bikes and no need to dress down for a bike commute. Heels, short skirt or a weeks groceries.

No cargo too large either!!

Fleckvieh Cross

2010-05-31T05:32:00.001+10:00

Herd in Netherlands milking around 130 cows with robots and fodder is fed in large blocks, the farm is run with about 40 hours of labour per week.

Maybe not their best example of Fleckvieh cross cow (all the good looking ones were camera shy), these Holstien-Fleckvieh cows are out producing their Holstien herd mates.

Whilst the Fleckvieh cross cows carry a lot more condition they were no taller than the Holstiens in the herd (as I said all the good looking ones were camera shy).

No extra calving problems reported with the Fleckvieh calves.

Automated Dutch Dairy

2010-05-31T05:05:00.000+10:00

Dairy at Ten Boer in the Netherlands with robotic milking, feeding and methane digester.

Auto feeding hoppers deliver custom rations to separate mobs of cattle.

Feeding system loaded to keep ration up to cattle.

Methane digestor which processes all the manure on site requires the addition of externally sourced carbohydrates eg. hay cut from nearby roadsides.

Groningen-Netherlands

2010-05-29T05:14:00.000+10:00

The Martini Tower once the tallest tower in northern Europe.

Don't know what brought on this brotherly love. Maybe it's the fact they are skipping school.

Rabobank building in Groningen, around 80% of Dutch farmers bank with Rabobank.

Amsterdam-Canals, Flowers And Bikes, Bikes, Bikes...

2010-05-28T06:35:00.019+10:00

Quick overnight stay in central Amsterdam before heading into the farmland.

Inner city living!!

Floating Flower market

Hendrika the cow in one of my favourite childhood books always wanted to see the "stepped" rooves of Amsterdam. Incidentally this is now one of the boys favourite books.

Another canal...

Sunny England

2010-05-28T06:30:00.000+10:00

Back to the UK for the weekend to meet up with Gill, Hugh, George and the Schreuder's.

Whipsnade Zoo

The Tower of London, Hugh and George were sure they would be able to get out with just a few of the jewels.

It was so warm the boys had loads of fun with their cousin in the paddling pool.
Checking out some English crops with the boys.

Au Revoir France

2010-05-27T07:10:00.000+10:00

From the eastern mountians of Jura to the Atlantic coast of Brittany I have crossed France from east to west and yet only seen such a small part of this very diverse nation.

From robotic dairies to extremely low cost systems and high value cheese production, the modern and the ancient are mixed together in France like no other country I have visited.

2010-05-27T06:39:00.001+10:00

Big french heifers grazing in Brittany

A typical grazing operation in Brittany still has the cost of a barn to house the cows through the winter.

Normandy-Holstien cross cow in Brittany, this native French breed of cows has been used in many crossbred systems but wasn't popular with any of the farmers I visited.

French farmers planning their next blockade of Paris streets. No not really, discussing the results from this latest pasture cut.

Atlantic Coast-France

2010-05-26T05:11:00.000+10:00

Overnight between farm visits I decided it was time to visit some local surf beaches! Very impressive swell.

Camaret sur-Mer a small fishing village on the Brittany coast.

Fantastic weather too!

Le Faou-Brittany

2010-05-24T07:42:00.000+10:00

Once-a-day milking herd south of La Faou-France

The "Bell Cow" is the only cow in this Brittany herd which wears a bell. She is the most economically profitable cow in the herd from the previous season. This years bell cow in the crossbred herd is a Monty-Jersey cross.

Many of the Montbeliard cross heifers in this herd are smaller in stature than their Friesan-Jersey cross dams. It appears the concerns of the stature of Montbeliarde cattle can be managed with the choice of the correct genetics within the breed

Monty cross heifer.

Saint Urbain, Brittany

2010-05-22T19:27:00.002+10:00

Moving to Brittany I've have a great week visiting many farms. I have seen a wide range of approaches to deal with reducing milk price and increasing costs.

Crossbred calves are beginning to be appear on a small number of pasture based farms.

A number of farms have been experimenting with various crossbred systems for long enough to be milking a range of crossbred dairy cattle.
Montbeliarde-Holstein cross heifers.

Heifers in a Brittany pasture based system.

One of the significant issues facing dairy farmers in France is the challenge of putting together a contiguous parcel of land. This railway bridge dissects a heifer grazing area.

Chateau de Villandry

2010-05-17T17:43:00.002+10:00

No this isn't a dairy farmers little vegi garden out the back.
Not a typical Nuffield visit but I couldn't drive past Villandry with out calling in. Villandry gardens were reconstructed early last century to their renaissance design. It is one of the worlds most famous gardens.

Kitchen Garden

Box hedging galore

Cows bells in French-Comte

2010-05-16T04:56:00.002+10:00

I'm no master with the video but it gives you a feel for the atmosphere.

Monty Heifers grazing

2010-05-16T04:48:00.000+10:00

Every mob seems to have their own tune depending on the type of bells they are wearing

Montbeliards grazing

2010-05-16T04:39:00.001+10:00

I've had a great few days visiting both grazing and indoor Montbeliarde farms. The range of milk price paid to farmers in this area is huge with the farms which sell milk to specialist cheese producers having to meet greater restrictions but also getting paid more.

Monty herd producing organic milk for the production of Gruyere cheese.

The sound of a herd of cows grazing with bells on is something special.

Monty heifer

Besancon Show

2010-05-15T18:34:00.002+10:00

The show scene isn't a place you will usually find me looking at cows but this Montbeliarde feature show was a great opportunity to look at the different genetics within the breed.

The facilities and presentation of the show was amazing, the crowd really got into the judging, very passionate!!

Proud winners of the overall champion cow.

Typical first calf show heifer.

Next stop France

2010-05-15T03:58:00.002+10:00

Besancon in eastern France the capital and principal city of the French-Comté region. It is an ancient city built in an oxbow of the Doubs River, with settlement tracing back to the Gauls in 1500 BC. Anyone who loves their cheese will know of the cheese if not the region, I'm here to see the Montbeliard cattle from which the Comté cheese is made.

Doubs River, with La Citadelle, one of the towns many fortifications in the back ground.

One of the many beautifully tiled roofs of the region.

Pasture in the UK

2010-05-14T02:47:00.002+10:00

Pasture based dairy farming in the English Midlands. A minority of farmers throughout England are challenging the normal intensive farming systems of the area and running very successful pasture based systems. The farmers I visited were not only doing a great job of managing their farming system but they also have developed an impressive network to share their knowledge.

Crossbred herd at Burton

Using the same fields for calves is beginning to cause some build up of pathogens, makes me wonder if the JDCAP program will have the same effect on us in Victoria.

Note the laneway, made of old concrete railway sleepers, they have been cheap to access and form a track that will last for years.

UK crops

2010-05-13T03:24:00.004+10:00

Taken near a small village called Harlington(I think) in England.
Some of the crops on the rises in this area look as though they have been very short of moisture at times this season.

(double clicking on any photos will enlarge them)

No real story here I was just having some fun taking some snaps

Warm sunny NY to cold/wet London

2010-05-13T02:58:00.001+10:00

...
Poor cold wet London didn't have the buzz of NY

Farmers Club London, situated right on the Thames opposite the London eye. Part of the Nuffield experience, a night at the Farmers Club.

Here they are!!!

2010-05-10T06:24:00.001+10:00

This is a little out of order for some reason this didn't upload a couple of days ago. So this is not New York but Minneapolis-Minnesota.

These cows have been bred by the research team which have attracted the attention of crossbreeding dairy farmers around the world. The program involves a three breed cross consisting of Holstein, Scandinavian Red and Montbeliard

The large white faced cow below is a Holstein-Montbéliard first cross.

The first 2 cows are the 3-way cross, these are not large cows.

New York New York

2010-05-07T14:33:00.000+10:00

This is my first time to New York, and I can now see why so many people rave about it! I don't know why I'm enjoying it so much but it really does have a buzz.

No sign of King Kong today.

Lunch in Little Italy. Yeh tough life...

New Yorkers out enjoying spring in at "Sheep Meadow" Central Park

Bit of a rough day here today.

The Mighty Mississippi

2010-05-06T05:21:00.000+10:00

The Mississippi river in Lake City Minnesota, so much fresh water, it's a big river even this far north!

Red Wing, on the banks of the Mississippi. The home of the boots by the same name.

Early hay! The first field of Lucerne I saw cut, the season is several weeks ahead of normal in this area. Hay on the ground and the northern areas of the state have upto 9 inches of snow forecast for the next few days.

Lucerne ready to be cut. Much of the corn is out of the ground already and the Soy beans are going in now.

Back in the cow shed!!

2010-05-03T04:54:00.000+10:00

South Minnesota countryside dotted with dairy farms

Corn and Alfa Alfa band cropping

I've just had two great days staying on farm with a great farming family. After 4 milkings I was beginning to get into the swing of of the premilking preparation for each cow, great to chance to step into a whole new type of dairy farming.

I even got to go to Prom night at the local school. Sorry it's not a better photo of Brandon, Darold.

STORM CHASER

2010-05-03T04:41:00.000+10:00

It just looked like a little front blowing through, well they were forcasting some showers.

Traveling on a four lane highway my radio cut out then it was interrupted by some heavy sounding storm warnings, I'll be right I thought 'I'm a country boy I know rain'.

Quick look at my map and the storm path was heading straight for me, may be time to pull over and have lunch at next chance.

No time to get off the highway the storm hit harder than I have ever seen when driving.

Now I'm stuck on this highway and all I could see was the front of the hood and the truck headlights in my rear view. My radio was now warning storms may turn to tornadoes. Storm chaser I think not, I was very happy to see this one pass.

Cows Cows Cows

2010-05-01T00:57:00.000+10:00

This farm in central Wisconsin is the best looking housed system I have seen and the cows looked great.

The genetics in this herd was very interesting. Quite a few crossbred cows both Jersey and Scandinavian Reds over the Holsteins. Now they are going back to straight bred Holsteins after years of breeding for longevity, fertility and production their style of black and whites are out doing the crossbreds. A lot of genomic work is being done on this farm and the herd has a very high genomic ranking. This isn't a great photo and I'm not usually into cow looks but the width of the front legs on these cows was something I have never seen before!

OK so I had a very cowy day.
This girl is sired by a South Gippsland jersey bull, Khune.

It is impossible to get perspective on the size of this stack of corn silage but it was huge.

Madison, Wisconsin

2010-04-29T12:26:00.000+10:00

The Americans do the grand buildings well, Wisconsin State Capital Building.
Yes spring has sprung.

Madison is a University city, with around 40,000 students enrolled at the Uni and a city population of just over 200,000.
The University of Wisconsin is home to one of the main Agriculture Universities in the US. I spent my day today at the Uni. meeting with academic/research staff in order to gain a greater understanding of the "dairying state" and where it is headed.

The car number plates say "America's Dairyland" & 80% of the milk is made into cheese.
There had to be a good cheese shop somewhere!

Some tastings, a good chat, a bag of cheese and some sourdough baguettes...I'm happy.
This shop featured in Will Studds "Cheese Slices" series.

Two weeks at Fish Creek & back on the road

2010-04-28T12:33:00.000+10:00

Our crazy boys were very happy to have daddy home.

Green grass galore at Montrose. One of the best autumn breaks for a while has made feed budgeting for the early winter very easy this year. This time of the year is often very difficult feed wise, we have to build pasture covers going into winter and conserved fodder supplies can run low after long summer dry periods.
Good early rains and strategic use of Nitrogen fertilisers have helped build pasture covers early this and we will carry over about 200t (dry weight) of silage.
Maybe it's not the season, maybe it's the new management this autumn!! Perhaps I should travel every year....

The good season also means the cows should reaching the target body condition score at calving.
May be there is a bit too much grass in some paddocks (this hadn't gone past 3 leaves).

Mexico, Brazil & Uruguay in review

2010-04-17T22:15:00.000+10:00

UK to the USA

2010-04-11T21:56:00.003+10:00

No longer needed!

2010-04-09T20:22:00.002+10:00

This is my welcoming party at the front gate.
Looks like someone is trying to make a point that the farms management has improved over the last 6 weeks.
I do remember being told at Uni that the best manager's are those who make themselves redundant!

Soya Ahoy

2010-04-09T20:04:00.000+10:00

More Soybeans

Dave checking out some maize

Marty, surely there must be a fish farm somewhere here!

Farewell from final visit of the 2010 Feb-April GFP tour.

Gaucho's

2010-04-06T12:40:00.000+10:00

"Boss" Gaucho working in the yards at Curupy Angus Stud in Villa Soriano

A mob of breeders, stud and pure cows and calves. They are using American genetics whilst managing to keep cow size down and maintain fertility.

Lunch Cooking

Yet another feast for lunch!!

Vino

2010-04-06T12:18:00.000+10:00

Bodega Irurtia, 300 ha under vines, most for wine but also some table grapes.

Local cheese with the wines! Great range of cheeses from Roquefort type blue to Parmesan style hard cheese.
Lunch in a cellar, it's a hard life as a Nuffield Scholar

House wine at less than $0.90AU/lt you can't go wrong..well maybe
The Tannat a bit of a local favourite was good, didn't go for the grappa though.

Carmelo on the Rio de la Plata, a bit of Argentinian money spending Easter cruising

Uruguay

2010-04-05T10:05:00.000+10:00

Holsteins living it up in Lucerne pasture.
Empty/late mob which are part of a 4600 cow operation milking in 9 sheds

Oven 800 heifers are reared in these pens, moved every second day.Milk delivered by horse and cart and one man, using a horse means the cart can be stopped and started and directed with just voice commands and the operator can deliver milk.

Montevideo

The Liberator
The New Governement Building
And what is that building doing there!!

Nuffield Scholars become TV stars

2010-04-02T14:25:00.001+11:00

Yes we made morning TV today, such big stars Steve was recognised in the lift this morning. Dave was the hero of the show doing a TV interview.

Rain clouds stalking a header.
Rain disruption seems to be a typical aspect of Soy harvest in this part of the country (North of Goiania).

They my not be good for harvest but gee they have some great clouds!

They also have some pretty big irrigators.
Maize under a centre pivot.

Churrasco (BBQ) near Goiania

2010-03-31T14:00:00.001+11:00

Meal for the meat lovers.
Huge range of meats are cooked over coals

As the meat is cooked it is taken around the tables and carved straight on to the plate.

Lamb, chicken, chicken hearts, sausages, and a huge range of beef cuts as well as plenty of unidentified objects slowly cook and smoke over the coals.

It's an all you can eat occasion and the waiters are not shy about keeping the meat up to the table.

Indian Zebu

2010-03-31T13:43:00.000+11:00

Sixteen month old Indian Zebu bulls which are to be sold as breeding sires

When the ears flap run...
Yes he did happen to have a short fuse.

That hump keeps turning up on the menu.
Not my choice of cuts, pale, tough & quite flavour less.

Not much hind quarter there.

Brazilian Road Trip

2010-03-30T14:13:00.000+11:00

Afternoon thunder clouds over soybean crop

Yep that's my hand in the corner, you wanted a photo with me in it Gill.

Around 1000 km on the road over last few days,
the roads aren't bad but the gee the bus could do with some suspension in the back end.

Coffee anyone

2010-03-30T13:29:00.000+11:00

Rows and rows of coffee
These with Australian Silky Oak windbreaks

Professional cupper (coffee taster) knocking us up his best espresso in the plantations fully fitted out tasting lab.

Sao Paulo

2010-03-28T11:40:00.000+11:00

Sao Paulo-Third largest city in the world
One of the most redeeming features of this huge city is the street art this is a small section of a huge graffiti mural.

Cashews in the market
Cashew juice is on the breakfast menu, very sweet.

Few reminders of the Portuguese colonial period remain
The majority of the cities development occurred post the 1920's

Typical Sao Paulo skyline, a concrete jungle
Looking forward to getting into the countryside

Faces & Places of Mexico

2010-03-28T08:10:00.001+11:00

That's it for Mexico this time...
Of to Brazil!!!

Teotihuacan Mexico

2010-03-28T08:07:00.000+11:00

Cactus country

Teotihuacan Pyrimids and City ruins

Scale of the pyramids and the avenue between the pyramids is amazing

The father of the Green Revolution

2010-03-25T13:29:00.000+11:00

CIMMYT

Norman Bourlaug "The Father of the Green Revolution" credited by many as the man who ran the research programs which have saved millons of people around the world from starvation over the last 60 years.
His work carries on at CIMMYT stations around Mexico and the world.

Seed bank at CIMMYT headquarters in Mexico City.
This vault holds 140,000 wheat varities and 28,000 varities of maize from around the world.

Tortilla Anyone

2010-03-25T12:45:00.001+11:00

Lunch at a Mexican rural roadside stall

Deep fried pork, wheat tortilla, pickled carrot & onion, lime and chilli salsa

Delicious, wouldn't want to eat it every day though.

"Chef" deep frying the pork in huge tubs of pork fat

Very glad we had help ordering and didn't end up with these bits

Obregon-Sonora Mexico

2010-03-24T18:24:00.002+11:00

Sonora is not renown for its dairy farms

Carrot harvesting-these carrots are off to Canada
They tasted good too!

Mexican wheat

2010-03-23T17:07:00.000+11:00

Wheat

Wheat....

More wheat & wheat farmers

Marty & wheat
Lots of wheat breeding plots today!

San Francisco

2010-03-21T13:47:00.000+11:00

Tram cars a rolling streets
Good one for the billy cart Hugh & George

Alcatraz-from Fisherman s Wharf

That's the end of our visit to Uncle Sam!

Salinas Valley to Sacramento

2010-03-19T16:44:00.000+11:00

Castroville "Artichoke Capital of the World"

In 1947 a young woman named Norma Jean was crowned Castroville's first artichoke queen.

Happy to miss out on seeing any of these locals

El Nido-California
Californian Dairy- 114 units, 7 labour units in the pit, 500 cows/hr, 24hr operation, 6000 cows

Individual calf hutches housing 3000 calves
Wow this is a very impressive operation, and the cows looked great, mature at about 500kg, not monsters

California-Fresno

2010-03-18T17:05:00.000+11:00

These trees could save the world, or may be it's just another field of trees....not too sure.
(Long story)

Bucks (rams) almonds and snow covered mountains which fringe the valley around Fresno.

Tomato planting, keep going guys only about 23990 acres to go!
Tomato planting season is just getting into swing on this farm which will plant around 24000 acres of tomatoes this season.

Yes it's a hot, dry job, not a tree or blade of grass to be seen for miles.

Fresno-California

2010-03-17T14:37:00.000+11:00

Tomato seedlings just planted on subsurface dripper beds

Lettuce almost as far as the eye can see
(Yeh I know the horizon isn't straight it was taken out the window of a moving bus)

Boys this is what you get when you have enough water with your seed and fert.
Croppers in the group collecting some memories

Don't know about Windy but it sure is COLD

2010-03-17T14:17:00.002+11:00

Chicago from the John Hankock building.

After walking the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, we took a look at the city from a different angle

Pennsylvania

2010-03-15T13:00:00.000+11:00

Gettysburg Battle Field-
Last of the season big snow fall melting from the site of one of the final battles of the American Civil War

The man of the Gettysburg Address with a work group.
Eight nations represented in this group.

Old round farm barn

New barn-The future of dairy?
Large modern dairy with several robotic milkers within the barn.
These cows are housed 24hr, 365days of the year.

Apples Galore.

Apple sorting in apple packing plant- Adams County PA

Washington DC

2010-03-08T14:13:00.000+11:00

Looks like the tide is out. It never looks like this on TV

CAPITAL HILL. The icon of democracy. These buildings really are built on an intimidating scale.

This is IT the White House, didn't see the new vegie garden.
Off to a reception tomorrow evening just down the road at the Canadian Embassy. Very much enjoying mixing with scholars from around the world at the Contemporary Scholars Conference this week.

Farewell Wales

2010-03-06T20:39:00.000+11:00

Who else could be the farewell face of Wales but a sheep!

Fresh air and frosty hill tops. I may not look cold but the ground is frozen solid!!!

After a week of amazing Welsh weather, hospitality countryside we now move on to Washington DC.

No singing in the valleys....just ice

2010-03-06T20:17:00.000+11:00

Nuffield Wales threw us a farewell dinner in this "small country house" Now owned by the Uni it once housed an extensive art collection. Gregynog Hall, Tregynon, Newtown

Frosty morn at John & Sarah Yeomans (Nuff Sch), Llwyn y Brain

2010-03-05T05:48:00.001+11:00

Another aspect of sheep. Rowan, Dave, Ian, Balls & John Yeomans

Now thats a harvestore.

Big Welsh dairy cows

Spectacular countryside on the English boarder

Wales Supermarkets & Fish

2010-03-05T05:40:00.000+11:00

Somewhere in the distance is Mt Snowdon, "On a good day this is one of the be views in Wales"

Next stop the BIG BOYS. 36% of the UK supermarket trade.

Finally some fish for Marty

Newtown's new Tesco only a baby at 7 days old

More Sheep-Well I guess it is Wales

2010-03-04T17:44:00.000+11:00

Rams at Innovis – breeding technologies, a Nuffield scholar working to improve the Welsh Sheep flock.

Sheep Sheep Dead and Alive

2010-03-04T07:43:00.000+11:00

After a morning at the Dunbia Abattoir, Llanybydder we got to see the other end of the opperation.

Dolaucothi Estate Lamb, ewes just about to drop lambs. Very impressive lamb marketing program.

Want a farm stay in a Welsh Valley? Looks good to me.

First stop a Dairy!!

2010-03-03T17:43:00.000+11:00

Forty hrs since the last sleep we arrived at our first visit, an Organic dairy at Chepsworth in England on the Wales boarder.

I'm not sure if Ian aka "Kiwi" thought these english cows were on the nose.

Canberra and on the road

2010-02-27T15:20:00.003+11:00

Seven Aussies and one Kiwi ready to start their Nuffield adventure.