Farmer John’s Blogs
June 2021
18 Jun 2021
It has to be said that this time last year I was proudly reporting that we had recorded 109 different species of moth one night in Miram’s Copse on Rushall Farm. That, of course, excluded the ones eating the carpets at home and those devouring our fine crop of leeks in the garden. Well, this year our daily walks through the woods have been festooned with caterpillars of all colours and sizes hanging precariously from the tops of the tallest oak trees.
May 2021
18 May 2021
The water meadows behind Bradfield Village have been under Rushall Farm management for 20 years. When I first came to Bradfield in 1974 Dorcas Ward’s father Giles farmed them along, with gravel top land surrounding Copyhold Farm by the war memorial in Bradfield. His farm kitchen was always a warm place with generous hospitality. Careful land management meant that he was able to grow winter barley on the poor gravel soils, crucially followed by stubble turnips.
16 Mar 2021
The other evening while walking the dog and shutting the gates around Rushall I came across a toad sat in the middle of the track, not even startled by my torch. To me it seemed he had woken up and thought it had been quite a sunny day, and well, it must be spring and time to mate. But then had second thoughts.
9 Mar 2021
It was at the end of a very wet underfoot walk through the woodlands at Rushall. We had just seen Graham and Mick, gamekeepers extraordinaire, drive into the woods. We crossed Scratchface Lane, and passed the huge Douglas Fir when there was a rustling behind us, a sudden crack and crash as
January 2021
12 Jan 2021
It is an understatement that right now in early January it is cold. It was a few years ago that Martin, who was profoundly deaf and at Brookfields School, came to help me first thing on Saturday mornings. He was part of a group who come regularly on Tuesday to the farm, but was not coping all that well. He worked with me, bedding up the cattle and sheep, feeding and checking hungry stock, although would have much preferred to be still in bed.
December 2020
1 Dec 2020
Last night it was a full moon, very big with a misty presence. It was just like the pictures in story books with that vague outline of ...
16 Oct 2020
It’s Monday afternoon and 10 volunteers from Bradfield College need to be picked up with trac ...
September 2020
15 Sep 2020
When I finished working at Rushall Farm as manager for William Cumber six years ago I continued to have responsibility for the various pieces of farmed land around Theale. Most of it had been put into an environmental scheme in 2011. At that time we planted wild flower meadows, allowed some areas to naturally regenerate, did tree and shrub planting and turned the wartime pillbox into a home for bats.
15 Jul 2020
Bright and early this morning, though we were barely awake, Reuben and mum Jenny burst through the front door. He is only two but then…..
June 2020
10 Jun 2020
We have, in defiance of all that has been going on, kept a sign on Back Lane saying ‘Rushall Farm School Visits’.
