Fencing - The Big Job...

So, you may be aware that we have a big ol' field out the back of the farm, extending to about 13 or so acres. The plan in the short term is to let this field out (probably to the local dairy farm) but we wanted a bit of space for ourselves for various possible projects, a favourite idea is a small orchard in at least part of it. So what was needed was a fence, right across the top of the field. And So Farm Guy and Farm Guy Dad (who is actually a Farm Guy too!) set out to put up a nice stock fence... I supplied the food...

First thing was to put the fence posts in all the way across the field, in a nice straight line, and bang the posts in with a variety of tools. They had a mel (large hammer) and "a metal thing with handles" (yes, that's the technical name) which you slot over the top of the post and kind of thump it down. The mel was needed as some of the posts proved just to wide to fit in the handled thingy!

About half way across we wanted a gate, this will line up with the gate that currently leads to the Farm and will allow us to get any machinery/animals/Santa's sleigh through into the main part of the field. As a result some nice 'stays' were needed to help support the gate posts, although we are not hanging the gate yet - we need something even sturdier to hang it but this will do for now.

And here is our completed fence with gate (tied) in situ. All the grass on this side is ours to play with and everything beyond is up for rental grabs! Hopefully this will have some nice calves on it soon and we can get all 'bovine'.

Got Rabbits?...

This is a bit past due but better late than never. We have Bunnies! Not through choice, through location. For bunny lovers close your eyes while you read the next bit... ?.. Our cat Rocco, of Cat In Flowers fame, has started doing his bit and can often be seen bringing home a bunny shaped dinner, but his little efforts (an adult rabbit is about the same size as him!) are unfortunately not enough. (Bunny lovers can open their eyes now!) The veggie patch was being very much bunny munch city. Our garlic plants were getting a daily hair cut and the raspberry canes proving too enticing! (I cannot just blame the bunnies, there is a sheep problem.. but that's another story and one that will be solved by the bunny fix!) So bunny proofing was needed, so last weekend Farm Guy and Farm Dad set to work. Unfortunately bunny proofing requires digging the wire into the ground so it was a long tiring couple of days.

What has this photo to do with bunny proof fencing? Nothing. But it shows what happens in old houses when you pull on that light cord in the bathroom just one too many times! It didn't just snap it came completely out of the holder, so the whole fitting had to come off. That put back the "Bunny Barricaders" behind by about an hour before they even started!

One of the main jobs for the Bunny Busters was pulling out the old, completely useless older fence and putting in a new one. Problem with this fence is it runs along the bottom of a slope that has, over the years, slowly collapsed, so this needed to be built up and secured before fencing began.

But once it was done the fence looked great, now just the rest of the veggie patch to go! The red thing in the picture is Farm Dad's jacket on a 'bench' they constructed out of some old bricks they had found and stone which must have once formed the front step to one of the farm buildings. Even together they couldn't lift it. It was a case of two to lift up one end then two to lift up the other! It is not very sturdy at the moment, but I really like the placement of the bench so we are hoping to make it a more permanent feature. A throne from where we can view our veggie kingdom!

Here is the finished product, well almost finished all that was left at this point was to sort out the gate at the far side. The black blob in the middle there is an old tractor tyre. We have filled it with soil, stuck in some sticks, planted the peas and wrapped it all in netting. Ahhh.... a Pea Pyramid..

Over towards the gate things are getting fencey. The old gate post got to stay but everything else had to be replaced.


All that was left was some kind of gate so we can get in and out! Time was short by then, Farm Dad has quite a drive to get home, so a 'lift 'n' place' frame was fashioned from some wood lying around and some of the left over chicken wire... I think it looks pretty alright!!

Yes, that is a big farm gate on the right, but it is also not hung so you don't open it, you just haul it out of the way, we decided a smaller version was needed! And even once the biggun' is hung a smaller gate is much nicer to deal with on a day to day basis!


PS. Not sure what I did to make the photos so small this time, apologies.