I found this thread by accident. I'm going all the way back to the beginning. I can't wait!!! I am not a photographer. I will never catch a shot like this again. #MyProudestPhotoMoment
Thanks this was taken in the middle of a city. Boston... I miss traveling and I wanted to get a feel for Australia..I love the Place and its people
One of my favorite photos o took of Christie Brinkley: This photo of Christie captures a softness and seemingly vulnerable moment. I love taking photos of her... there are moments like these that break through the veneer of a very tough and competitive industry showing this softer side of life. While I truly enjoy shooting the super model Christie, it her super kind soul that my lens yearns to capture. • •
I see your beautiful argricultural flora and raise you traditional farming machinery and techniques. The sacks filling with seed the chaff and broken straw coming out the side of the drum Farmer Paul adjusting the throttle on the old Fordson Dexta. The speed is crucial as too fast can mean you don't get all the wheat off and can damage the drum. a sheath of wheat or shuck in local dialect the buncher the drive belt coming off the buncher Apologies for the poor quality of the pictures, the sun was very bright today. We were threshing today not for more thatching straw which we still have some of from last season's wheat but for seed from this season's crop to plant for next year.
I truly envy your opportunities to “play” with vintage equipment like that. I’m also thankful you are keeping traditions alive. I think it’s very important to keep things from the past in operation like you do there. And yes it’s time to get those winter grain crops in the ground. I drilled part of my annual rye this week. Can’t believe it’s almost October. How many acres of thatching wheat will you plant?
Depends on conditions Last year we were only able to plant 20 acres rather than the 30 we wanted due to the fields being so wet we couldn't get the tractor in. Added to the loss of income due to having all five camps cancelled due to Covid it has not been a particularly good year. On the plus side wheat prices are up and thatching straw went up by £50 a ton. So far it has been very dry so hopefully we can plant the full 30 acres this winter. Farmer Paul is fond of saying that wheat doesn't like to get its feet wet. As for keeping the traditions alive, it can't continue for ever. They stopped making threshing drums about 60 years ago and they are mostly made of wood. Ours is riddled with woodworm and getting worn out. The price of restoring one would be astronomical so there is probably only a generation or two left before the tradition dies out completely. At that point straw thatched roofs may also disappear which is a sad thought. Reed thatch may continue but the continuing loss of wetlands is a threat to that too.
Being prevented from planting is frustrating. I’m glad you’ll be able to plant what you want especially since prices are better. I’m beginning to see the positive results of the trade war with China. Soybean prices up over a dollar per bushel and corn up $0.30/bu. close to harvest when prices typically fall. China is making huge purchases of both. What drives thatch prices, just demand for replacement or new construction? Dry here as well. Could a cooper or wheelwright make or repair your drum? Coopers and wheelrights are rare here but they do exist.
The Thatching Straw Association sets the price. It's not determined by supply and demand like other crops. The association is a mixture of straw producers and thatchers. Farmer Paul is a member and we held the AGM here a couple of years ago. I made lunch of steak and ale pies from our Suffolk Red Pol for them. As you may remember I'm a chef not a farmer. I just live here in my motorhome. It is the first price increase in at least 5 years and has gone up from 500 to 550 a ton. It sounds a lot for straw but the labour costs in threshing are very high as it takes a minimum of 6 men all day to thresh about 4 or 5 tons. Sometimes less as problems with the machinery regularly stop work. Belts coming off the pulley wheels, string in the buncher breaking etc. Until a couple of years ago when the new threshing barn was built rain stopped play as well. A good carpenter or cabinet maker could restore a drum but it would be a big job and cost a lot of money. There are a few restored ones doing the rounds at county shows giving demonstrations but the actual working drums are getting tired. You can still buy a drum for around 3 grand but we're talking about worn out examples needing repairs. They can only increase in value as they become rarer and rarer. For now, things are OK and it is the lack of farms growing the old long straw varieties that is the problem but the long term future of the trade is far from secure.
Just finished making the cake for Mum's 80th birthday. Now all I have to do is get it there in one piece...
This is a female Red Swamp Crayfish. If you look under the tail you will see the "berries". She is in a tank by herself now. If she finishes dropping the babies I will put her in another tank. Looks like a bunch of babies.