Rounding off 2024

Well, every year has its ups and downs, but it feels as if 2024 has really outdone itself! Its strange
with farming too; every year is theoretically the same, and they do start to blend into one – yet this
year we saw some truly different things happen. Both great, and less great.

One of the most positive things to come of 2024 for our family was Lydia, our middle child, decided
to work in Australia for 4 months, and she had an amazing time exploring Brisbane and the rest of
the continent – she even had time to visit people we know who live over there, I’m sure some of you
will be reading this blog, so ‘hello’! Of course, since Lydia will also be reading this: we’re all very
proud of you, and so pleased you made so many friends at work and out of work!

We had some terrible weather back here in old Britain. As a result, harvest was really poor. Since
then, the crops for 2025 that we have planted have been treated to more kind weather though, so
fingers crossed for the next 6 months. The main cropping issue, however, was the fact that we had
to cancel our Pick Your Own Pumpkin event as the council underwent exploratory work for a
potential new road from Blyth up to the Three Horse Shoes roundabout – straight through our
pumpkin patch. We were so upset to let you all down this year, and it really is the highlight of our
year to let you all onto our farm for a few weekends of the year. We love the education, and the fact
that people get to bring their kiddies and see so many smiling faces. Of course, we will still try and
make the event happen this coming year, we just need a bit of good luck!

On the bright side, just before we cancelled our pumpkin event, we did have an amazing time
hosting you for our first ever sunflower walk – all of the money we raised in entrance (£2 per
person) went to two local charities, who each received over £1.5k each! They are the Royal
Agricultural Benevolent Society and the Seghill over 80s Xmas parcel committee, and were both so
grateful! We had such a lovely day, and adored all of the amazing photos you all sent through. They
were also such a great crop to trial, and there are talks of doing it again this year (no promises!!).
Thank you to everyone who came, and to our friends and neighbours who came and volunteered! It
was great to see so many friends on our second farm, normally more hidden from the public!

One of the biggest changes this year has to have been within our shop, we have extended the
opening hours so that now we are open until 3pm, and open 6 days a week! Due to this, we have to
introduce a truly fantastic new member of staff, the lovely Caroline – if you’ve been in on a
Wednesday or a Friday and noted a new smiley blonde lady then that’ll be her! Our shop does also
stock a whole new array of things compared to this time last year, and we are so proud of our team,
and how hard everyone has been working. I absolutely love seeing all of our new customers due to
getting all of the plants, pots, gardening things, and increasing our selection of dog treats. I would
love to list all of the new things in the shop, but I think I would bore the socks off every reader!

I think the farming issue that most people have been focussed on this year is one that we haven’t
thought too much about. The inheritance tax change by the new labour government is likely to
affect so many people in our community, and our hearts go out to you. We are hopeful that it
doesn’t go through, but Chris and George did go up to London to show their support for the farming
community – I think Clarkson was a bit hit for them. They were even passionate enough to take 2
sacks of our lovely Northumbrian potatoes for the foodbanks. We don’t know what the future holds,
but it seems that IHT ideas are changing nearly weekly, so perhaps its best if we as a farming
community just stick together and hope for the best, whatever that ends up being.

Finally, one thing I have been superbly proud of over the last year is how well my donkeys have been
doing. This is certainly a small and personal achievement, but since they are rescue donkeys they
have been a bit skittish around us since we got them, and not always been too receptive of people.
This year, we worked so hard to make them more friendly and to trust us. Now, Tom and Gerry
are not only good at coming over to everyone in the family, but they let us stroke them and be
affectionate. I’m really happy with my boys, and I do think that with all of the madness going on in
the world that its nice to have a small thing to focus on, like being able to put a halter on your own
donkey without worrying, or them having faith in whatever you’re hand feeding them. Little wins.
Hopefully 2025 has even more.