Calf shines bright through 'the weather'

It has been more than three years since we historically opted to leave Europe, yet we still seem no closer to a deal. Boris Johnston has said – come hell or high water – he will leave on October 31. That’s just 2½ months away.

We’re 38 months on from that referendum and hurtling towards the expiry date for Article 50 and still no deal has been agreed. Can Mr Johnston and his cronies hope to establish something in the next 10 weeks?

In essence, he must do so to end all the uncertainty and lack of clarity which is eating away at the business confidence of Scotland’s farmers. To quote the Defra Secretary Theresa Villiers, the time for delay and division is over!

She is hopeful a deal with the UK’s biggest trading partner can be reached. Let’s hope, for the sake of the industry, she’s right. Because, at the moment, farmers are putting off making investments. We’re scared to plan ahead because of the lack of clarity on what different Brexit outcomes might mean for our businesses.

By now, Boris Johnson should be in no doubt that he must secure a deal which will allow British farming to prosper. He has already promised £160m in back payments to Scottish farmers to 'put right' the injustice caused by the past allocation of EU CAP funding.

And, he has already said his government will help us become more productive and competitive, although we haven’t been told yet what these measures will be. But what we do know is that there will be opportunities; for instance, we will regain the freedom to make our own laws and not be governed by European bureaucracy.

Come on…who doesn’t want a less bureaucratic farming policy? This could mean fewer inspections on farm and maybe (just maybe) reduce the ridiculous amount of repetitive paperwork we need to carry out.

We justifiably take great pride in our achievement in producing the highest quality food to some of the toughest welfare and safety standards to anywhere in the world and we need the government to recognise this. Our products meet high standards and we must ensure we are not undercut by cheaper inputs.

The danger a no-deal Brexit poses doesn’t bear thinking about, so please, Boris, don’t sell us down the river.

One thing we can’t blame on the government is the weather! What on earth is going on? One minute it’s warmer than exotic foreign destinations, the next we’re under water.

One casualty of recent torrential rainfall was poor Kinross Show. Anyone involved in the planning and setting up of local shows knows only too well how much time and effort goes in to such an event.

As the door closes on this year, it opens again for next year as plans get underway to do it all over again. I'm sure that committee members tried their damnedest to make sure the show went ahead, despite the conditions – however, it wasn’t to be. It was said – that with a heavy heart – organisers had to call it off.

The 'health and safety of visitors was at the forefront of the decision'. I’m sure it will be back next year, bigger and better than before. Sometimes Mother Nature has a lot to answer for!

Mother Nature, though, can be a wonderful thing too! I have to tell you a wee story about twin calves who decided to join our herd a month early. Premature births are never a good thing, however when labour begins, nothing and nobody can stop it.

The two 'titchy' heifers were born late on a Saturday afternoon and duly given colostrum. From the outset, though, one always looked to have more of an edge on hanging on in there than the other and sadly the weaker of the two didn’t make it.

The other one, though, wasn’t giving up. She couldn’t stand for the first few days and had to be tube fed. But I – like it appeared to be – was determined not to give up.

On the fourth day, she was sucking from a bottle and on day six was – like her bigger herd counterparts – drinking from a bucket! 'Titch' – as she is now fondly known – makes up for in personality what she doesn’t have in size. Good things really do come in small packages.

Staying on the subject of calves and all the work that goes with them, here’s some food for thought. Me and my 16-year-old son, who works at home, were having a discussion about the amount of work the whole Wilson family and our employees put in.

Grampa, at almost 77, still does his bit; there’s my husband Andrew and his brother, James, our son and daughter and two of James' boys, who when not at school, work hard too, especially at silage time when it’s from dawn until dark.

The bold Andrew turned to his mother and said: “I don’t consider feeding a pickle calves (more than 100 at the moment) and sitting at a computer, proper work!" For once in my life I was rendered speechless.

Have you ever heard the saying 'youth is wasted on the young'? Comments on a post card please.

I read somewhere recently that schools in the states are selling iced lattes to prop up the milk industry. Coffee bars are popping up in high schools, helped along by dairy groups, desperate for new ways to get people to drink milk.

No-one knows yet if this phenomenon will help boost milk consumption, or whether the concept will gain traction across the country. But with consumption of milk in the US down 40% since 1975, the dairy industry is looking for all the help it can get.

The industry, famous for its 'Got Milk' advertising campaign, is hoping its newer 'Undeniably Dairy' slogan will help fend off the almond, oat and soya alternatives that are becoming more popular. Could we follow their lead?