Out and About Poultry

Easy like a Sunday Morning

Easy like a Sunday Morning

It’s 7am on a Sunday morning and I am currently sat in a courtyard garden in Sunny Bridgend, West Wales, in an Airbnb just round the corner from the local prison (they missed that bit off the listing!) I am sat quietly, coffee in hand with no TV blaring in the background, nobody needing an urgent pooh and, most importantly no phone! I’ve disappeared off the farm for the weekend and left Mr O & A in charge, I am away celebrating one of my very best friends special birthdays and, in true Jade style, I have packed the weekend so full of activities that everyone is still fast asleep, shattered from the previous days program! Roll on day two! Finally, I can sit down and write a proper update to where we are back on the farm and what the last few weeks have been like. To sum up the last few weeks in a nutshell, I would say, rocky. All started off well allbeit I was flying by the seat of my pants somewhat in terms of being organised and ready to take delivery of birds. A huge thanks needs to be extended to the incredibly helpful staff…

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White Space

White Space

How often is it that we get that time to just stop, to put down technology, to turn off the phone, to just sit and think? When was the last time you sat down without your phone or a piece of work or sat and watched a TV program.  I can’t remember the last time I did it, and I’ve forgotten how much I’ve enjoyed it.  Do you remember back to when you were a child and there were no electronic devices, when the days felt long and you would moan to your Mum you were bored? I miss those days! I don’t think my children know the meaning of bored. We are either flat out going from activity to party or catching up with jobs at home. Most of their waking hours are spent pre-planned, weeks in advance. Where we live,  my children have a lot of access to outside space and trees and streams in which to play in. At this point in their young lives, they don’t know how lucky they are. In the UK recent research has shown that children are now spending only half as much time playing outdoors as their parents’ generation did (National Trust Survey),…

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Writing is my therapy

Writing is my therapy

I am broken beyond words today! As I write I feel like the whole world is against me right now. Writing for me is like therapy, writing allows me to release things I otherwise would, couldn’t or perhaps shouldn’t say. I have come to a point in my life where I’m tired and I’m worn out. I’m pretty much single handedly bringing up three children whilst running my little farm and in the background have other businesses running to make ends meet. For years now I’ve just kept going. I’ve papered over the cracks; I’ve tried to change things, improve things, take more control of things and try to give less fucks about things! This method has not been overly successful. The cracks are now showing some serious subsidence, the changes have gone unnoticed, I’m yet to see an improvement, if you have seen me in public with three kids you will realise I’m definitely not in control and although I probably look like I couldn’t care less, most days I want to liberate the shotgun from the cupboard and ram it up the arses of people that have pissed me off that day! (No humans have been harmed to…

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Women Empowering Women

Women Empowering Women

Hi, it’s been a while, how are you? I am sorry I haven’t written for a while, I seem to go into a bit of a hole when the birds are not in. I find it difficult to write, well unless I am pissed up or pissed off. The two generally go hand in hand! So international women day in March completely passed me by, I have no idea how but it did and some of the amazing people who I have met during my time running the out and about social media accounts said some lovely things about me. Agriculture and the rural economy has to be one of the few places I have found where women empower women, where women celebrate each others’ achievements  and where women actively seek to build each other up.  Many of you will have read my blog post ‘integrity’ where I talked about my time in the corporate world and what the final straw was that finally gave me the balls to walk away. What drove me away was the inequality I faced as a woman in a predominantly  mans world. As much as the company dressed up the fact they wanted women…

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Februdairy

Februdairy

I have been following the #Februdairy debate over the last few days with great interest and I have one question… When did freedom of speech end and tolerance to the views of others end? At what point did it become ok to tell people what they should eat, and shout down, threaten and abuse those who choose not to follow your views? I am not normally one to wade into the middle of a national debate  but you cannot miss the out and out war that is happening between farmers and those who believe that only plant-based foods should be eaten (vegans) on social media platforms and even national TV right now. Before I write further I will state my case and say now I am #teamdairy all the way. I have friends involved in the industry and have seen, and experienced first hand what goes on on dairy farms. I have never seen the cruelty to animals that extremists would have the public believe is happening. Quite frankly, I love cheese, cream and meat and there is no way I would ever give them up! I like to know where my food has come from and how the animals…

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