Breaking habits

Further evidence of why there is a lot to be said for the successful Bavarian petition on bio-diversity which was so well thought through that the government has accepted it without putting it to a statewide referendum.

A large number of farmers were up in arms & remain so. I contend that they are the minority and that most would agree in their hearts with the targets the new law is trying to achieve. Similarly, I think the non-farming public also accept that there are difficulties for many to adapt to the rules and accept the concerns. At the end of the day, it is the consumers and that includes farmers, who have to pay the price.

I cannot, however, see how this first silage cut in justified this year. It's as if there is a star on a calendar which says "Today Silage" and without any respect for the weather. The mowing must have been done last week before the snow.

In the extra photo, the farmer had no doubt also done the slurry work so that the snow would let it get into the soil. In this case, the farmer did at least use the new method but he didn't leave a centimetre of space between the field (track) and the drainage ditch which flows into the river just a few metres away.