August 1st – On the corner of Cartersfield Lane and the Lichfield Road, at the foot of Sandhills, a field of Rapeseed has been gently ripening for weeks. Just on the cusp of being ready for harvest, the field looks dead and valueless. However, these tiny black seeds, when crushed, contain the most useful oil.
It’s hard to imagine that a few months ago this field was a fluorescent shade of yellow…
February 19th – Here at Whitemoor Haye, near Alrewas, there’s an example of a hidden menace stalking Britain’s crops, but it’s rarely mentioned. Everyone loves swans, the graceful, beautiful white birds that populate rivers, canals and parks. However, they have a darker side. Aggressive and voracious of appetite, these large birds with no real natural enemy are multiplying in number at a huge rate. In spring, they gather in huge groups – this is just a tiny one – on fields of very young crops, then proceed to decimate them. Swans love the green shoots of fresh growth, and will gather on any flat field. Farmers will zigzag tape barriers over crops to prevent the hungry birds from landing, but success is limited. After all, you can’t be unkind to such gorgeous birds, can you?
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