Rocket Man

Biceps Bike Power seen on our evening walk and more importantly at last sunshine again even if cool.

Only half "uplifting" walk - sad to see progress has been made on a new dairy farm being built in the middle of nowhere on valuable arable fields. Apparently, it's for a herd of around 150 for a farmer currently with his probably much smaller herd in Sontheim. So far all that has been built is a massive silage pit & a large slurry tank, both within a few hundred metres of where our parish water supply comes from.

I'm sure the officials know what they are doing in terms of the water. I can understand the farmer's needs - EU and local Bavarian subsidy money have been biased towards large farmers, something the UK has always wanted. I am not sure if this will be an "organic" herd but I suspect the silage bin will be used mainly for maize which has already taken the upper hand around here. The herd will almost certainly only have concrete under their hooves & never been allowed out on the grass.

I believe though that farmers only get subsidies for new builds for herds of at least 100 cows. The average in our area is around 50. Do we need more milk? I thought we had an excess.

While taking the photos of the farm, what I assume was the farmer came by on a loader to clean up the silage bin which had just had a coating of tarmac (presumably to seal in the liquid). He stopped as he passed to ask what I was photographing. I was polite but not very friendly!

Work on the new housing estate in the village which overlooks the new farm is starting up again. The base of another house is completed & I now see that it will have a "Pre-Fab" house.

Back home, the horses though are pleased to be able to get onto grass & I enjoyed a left-over "Easter Lamb", a traditional sponge cake type moulded cake in the form of a lamb. When I first came here & heard people talking about them, I assumed it meant a good roast meal. The birds of prey are getting more & more active.