Annie Carr

Update - December 2020

At our first ambassador meeting back in February we couldn’t have predicted the year that lay ahead, but despite the turbulence and uncertainty affecting life away from the farm, things this side of the farm gate have been remarkably rosy.

A kind April meant lambing went smoothly, followed by a season of positive grass growth and good forage crop establishment. All lambs were finished by the end of September with the price staying strong throughout the year, however, perhaps not a sign of things to come with the UK’s final departure from the EU looming.

Although there will undoubtedly be changes to our industry, as we navigate through the next stages post-Brexit, I am hopeful that alongside the challenges there will be great opportunities for those wanting to harness them. Here’s hoping 2021 brings new openings and possibilities, and also a chance for the Ambassadors to be reunited and carry on where we left off! 

Update - April 2021

Lambing has dominated the past few months with most of my time spent working in various lambing sheds. With the last of my indoor lambing jobs completed, I’m back to focus on my own flock. There have had to be some big changes over the past six months at the home farm which has seen me establish my own business. The flock is currently running within a short term share farming agreement but the aim is to find a longer term land option to enable the business to continue to grow. 

Lambing has started slowly here but ewes are milking well and the weather is being kind. Grass is growing nicely with covers being measured regularly and within the next month the fields the ewes were outwintered on will be planted into forage rape. Looking ahead, I have one more lambing job on an exciting outdoor system before shearing season will soon be upon us and I will be back to wrapping wool. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer before the Ambassadors can reunite and catch up together on what’s been a very long year! 

Update - June 2021

The dry April now seems a distant memory with this month’s average rainfall having already fallen within the first fortnight. Ewes are working hard with lambs growing nicely. The main flock had been set stocked at 7.5 ewes/acre on a new grass ley until lambs were 5 – 7 weeks old. The field has now been divided into paddocks to be rotationally grazed; this increases utilisation and allows for better recovery and regrowth of the grass and clover.

The ewe lambs have taken to motherhood well and are mob grazing herbal leys. Forage rape was planted at the end of April and will be used for finishing lambs after weaning and also growing on the replacement ewes lambs that will be bought in later this season.