Reuse of Fertiliser Bags

[ina]

Shhhhh! We turn some of our barley into beer and barley wine...

And very good it is, too!

Sadly, it's European/Government insistence on Regulation after Regulation that puts the small producers out of business, and with him/her goes Good Husbandry. Bit of a vicious circle? (Sorry that's right off the thread now!)

I'm not so sure it's just Europe you can blame for that - Britain has a tendency to interpret European law to the strictest possible limits. Other countries seem to get away with a bit more freedom.
But you are not off the thread, I think; it's all part of the same problem we have. A very vicious circle. Or almost a vicious spiral; seems to be getting more and more...

[Stonehead]

Having just gone through the mail, I now know that in addition to registering with Trading Standards, I have to keep a record of what I feed to the livestock - type, quantities, dates, sources etc.

That may be fine if you have a large business with computerised record keeping, bar code readers and minutely controlled, mechanised feed regimes, but when you're a small, self sufficient croft doing it all by hand? And that's on top of all the other paperwork.

When I was on the phone to SEPA about the new waste laws, the person I spoke to said I could always employ someone to do the paperwork. Talk about distanced from reality.

[the.fee.fairy]

Maybe the regs are because the people that make them up like to go get their nice meat from T*scos where they don't have to equate it with a living animal that needs feeding.

Therefore, they forget that, like all animals, these animals will pick and choose at their food, and are perfectly capable of telling what is good food and what is not (well...nearly).

its such a shame that a traditionally mucky business like a farm is being sent down the same sterile route as everything else.

[Stonehead]

Therefore, they forget that, like all animals, these animals will pick and choose at their food, and are perfectly capable of telling what is good food and what is not (well...nearly).

I am tempted to make notes about which areas of grass they grazed...

[the.fee.fairy]

you never know!!

I watch my dog in the garden, and he goes for specific types of grass to eat, and other types to roll in.

To me, all the grass looks green, some of it longer than others, and some a different shade of green, but obviously, to him, the grass is all different and he uses different bits for different uses.

[Stonehead]

I've spent one and a half days in the past week doing paperwork related to the croft, and am doing more now. It's infuriating, wasteful and takes away from the time needed to actually work the croft - and the amount of paperwork is increasing.

It has been suggested that I not do it but, as the inspection by the animal welfare officert showed, the paperwork does get checked. In fact, my experience has been that if the paperwork is right or reasonably right, the the various enforcement bodies don't seem to be too worried about the physical reality provided it's not too screamingly obviously atrocious.

In other words, it's paperwork for paperwork's sake and to keep a lot of people in jobs - not to improve the lot of animals, make food safer or prevent pollution.

You can see this with the animal transport regulations. I applied for and received by transport licence this year, but the goal posts are shifting from January 2008 as I will then need to get a Certificate of Competency before transporting animals. And guess what, there are already businesses springing up to advise and train people to get their certificates - at no little expense.

It's the same with the plastic waste that originally started this thread. Each time you think you find a solution, the goal posts are shifted and recycling/reusing "waste" becomes that little bit harder. It's infuriating.

I'd like to suggest a moratorium on new or changed regulations for, say, 12 months. Would the the UK be any worse off for not having the various governments, executives and assemblies not pass any new regulations at all?

[Thomzo]

I know it doesn't help much but it's the same in all areas of business these days. The amount of time I spend filling in forms for statistics for the government in unbelievable. I had to see my solicitor yesterday. I've been with the firm for years. They handled the conveyancing of three of my houses and yet I still had to take my passport to prove who I was.

[possum]

Here you go - something you never knew you might need....

They make great peacock carriers

[red]

hobby of yours? carrying peacocks about?

[ina]

And, I suppose, peacock raincoats, if you make some alterations to the cut! Well, if we can use breadbags for lamb coats - why not!

[possum]

hobby of yours? carrying peacocks about?

No just our latest additions to the menagerie

[red]

for looking at or eating?

noisey blighters arnt they..

[possum]

If they behave themselves, then they are pets at least these two. Any offspring will either be sold or eaten.
If they don't behave, then end up on the dinner table.

However so far there hasn't been a peep out of them