THERE’S an old saying the early bird catches the worm, but these same worms are being killed off in their thousands by the promotion of veganism.

That’s the claim of the Northern Ireland branch of Farmers for Action who have sent a letter to the Vegan Society HQ, in Birmingham, calling on it to stop peddling anti-dairy messages, as highlighted at last week’s Semex conference, in Glasgow.

FFA is concerned that the high profile veganism message being put out across the UK is having a detrimental effect on growing school children and young people who very much need their full intake of calcium, iron and other essential natural ingredients – that dairy products deliver – to allow them to grow and develop.

The vegans stand accused of not pointing out how many worms and soil microbes lose their lives during soil preparation to grow the vegetables they claim they require.

The message called on them to ‘get real’ and to answer the question: ‘Will your advertising in future and definition of veganism, clearly state that worms and soil microbes will die in the process of growing the vegetables required for veganism?’

Snow fair for Rob

THERE’S been a lot of weather which has affected our everyday working life, but spare a thought for our photographer, Rob Haining, who spent all night on the M74 a week past on Tuesday because of the snow.

And, with true professionalism, he had nothing better to do than send in his pictures from the Longtown Ladies in-lamb female sale – the downside for him was that he was nowhere near any of his favoured eateries!

And, he was back at his desk the next day!

Ethel’s naughty present

IT SEEMS to be the season of merry japes for the Highland cattle breed.

At the recent agm of the West of Scotland Highland Cattle Club, the outgoing chairperson, Catherine ‘Ethel’ McKechnie, France Farm, Gartocharn, was presented with a memento of her time in the chair by the members. However, I think maybe she had more a string of pearls in mind than the naughty nurse uniform she received.

She suspected, though, that the uniform had already been used and that it could be traced to a wardrobe in the Prentice household, at Westruther. Maybe there is another side to Big Alan that we don’t know, but I think we should be told ... oooooh matron!

Bobby’s dressing down

ANOTHER one who got a dressing down this week was Bobby Carruth, NFU Scotland’s director of communications, who seems to have kept himself not very well informed in the wardrobe department.

Bobby likes nothing better than to keep himself quite fit and headed for the Edinburgh office at Ingliston, ready for a run when he got there. Only problem is, he left his day clothes at home.

Working in an office where such frailties as being seen in shorts and a running vest would be highlighted, if not ridiculed, Bobby jumped in the car and headed for Marks and Spencers at The Gyle. This might explain to his office mates why he turned up looking even more dapper than normal, although without his fashion advisor, wife Karen, to hand, God knows what the colour co-ordination looked like!