Lobster and whisky Galore.

The front field appears to be growing barley and…. lobster pots. Stacked ever so neatly above the sprouting field of barley in front of the farmhouse, are 200 or so lobster pots. The Happy Farmer has been smiling broadly ever since their arrival on the farm. He was more than happy to help then, in fact he was beyond delighted, to offer storage space for those pots when the local ferryman needed somewhere to put his pots for a few months. They add character to the farm. The island has a long history of fishing and farming, and of course, the Happy Farmer has been dreaming of the tasty lobsters that are going to pop into those pots once the ferryman’s boat is back in the water. Community spirit runs strong on the island. The Happy Farmer hasn’t yet had chance to remind the ferryman of his absolute love of lobster, but I am sure his friend knows him well enough. It will probably take a few of the island’s large gins or whiskies to refresh the ferryman’s memory. Luckily there is a bountiful supply, with eight distilleries operating and more new distilleries in the pipeline. The recent opening of Nerabus ‘Islay Gin’, coupled with the established Jura Gin and the Botanist, there are many to choose from.  

What a crop the Happy Farmer’s  front field is going to yield … lobster and whisky. I was smiling then when the Happy Farmer announced plans to plant Juniper trees to go alongside his blackthorn bushes in the hedgerow, it seems to me he has quite a lot of ‘dreaming’ going on.

We have had a nutty few weeks on the farm. One of our ‘Highland Ladies’ is about to calve. She has been teasing the Happy Farmer all week, threatening, but still clinging on, with no sign of the calf making an appearance. The Highland cow then, has handily placed herself next to the sheep whisperer’s cottage and is choosing that area as her preferred birthing pad. Luckily for the farmer the sheep whisperer has made a purpose-built gate at the back of her garden especially for situations like this. It appears to even have a purpose built ‘quad bike parking space’. This allows the Happy Farmer to ‘multi task’. Carrying out his farming duties with dedication from the comfort of the sheep whisperer’s and fly fisher’s conservatory, with whatever large ‘sweetie’ they happen to have on the go.

On a Happy note this morning when the Happy Farmer did his rounds he found to his delight the cow had produced a gorgeous wee calf, and in the Happy Farmer’s own words the cow is ‘as crabbit as hell’. That wise Mumma is refusing to allow the Happy Farmer anywhere near her new baby, guarding her offspring warily. This is where the quad bike comes into its own, allowing the farmer to safely check the calf before making a hasty get away, home over the hills, for coffee in the farmhouse.

Until next time….