Matthew Blair
@ThrimbyFarms
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First generation tenant farmers. Farming at Thrimby, Cumbria. Beef and Sheep, keen to teach people about our lives. You will catch us on “This Farming Life”
Cumbria
Joined November 2015
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Some would say hard as nails, i call her my wife. Scanning cows while pregnant, TB testing in her last few days and C-sectioning a ewe 2 weeks post herself. Just what you do on a farm. Every farmer has a wife that grafts as hard, sometimes harder.
#ThisFarmingLife
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Please please please while out and about, if you see a sheep like this, roll her over. You will save her life…
We call this kessed in Cumbria, but it has lots of names. Fact is, if she’s on her back, she shouldn’t be. Thanks and please share…
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This cow has been with us for 7 years, she’s calved every year. She’s one of the quietest cows on the farm. This is why you should never trust any of them. Last night wasn’t a good one. Dani is ok, just bruised, but if she was lone working it could of been different. Hellish.
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So today we start our two year project of planting hedges and double fencing. We have 9.5km of fencing to do in total, meaning just over 4.5km of new hedges. This is a great thing for the farm and for nature. Nature corridors all over the farm.
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Secretary of state for DEFRA blocks a farmer because she can’t take flack for been totally inept and careless about the industry she represents. Zero understanding and making a joke of her position
@DrNeilHudson
@RoryStewartUK
@NFUtweets
@Minette_Batters
@RishiSunak
@Keir_Starmer
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Does this warrant a “warning” sleeping on day shift? Recons he’s wasn’t hungover but judging by the empty milk bottles i don’t believe him. Farm life has got to be one of the best ways to bring a kid up.
#baby
#toddlerlife
#thisfarminglife
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Out of interest, are there many people who would watch a update from ourselves and these guys? How things have progressed and what new things are happening?
#thisfarminglife
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As a UK lamb producer, currently facing huge input prices and lamb price slashing, this makes me sick. The reason can only be down to finances. This was Sainsbury’s in Penrith today. In the heart of the livestock producing lands in the North west. Totally mad and totally sucks.
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Just a little catch up on the last few days… It’s all i’m going to add but i am more than disappointed at some peoples behaviour.
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My wife you mean?! Who’s my buisness partner, who’s as capable as me. Who owns the cattle
jointly. Who’s a Vet. Who had also done a 18hr day. Why should it matter she’s a woman? Plus, if we didn’t intervene it would of been death for the cow and it’s calf. Tell me again?
@ThrimbyFarms
@Jackie_HealyRae
If they’re not to be trusted then you shouldn’t have let that woman go into the pen with the distressed animal, adding to the distress the animal was already under. You know these animals can’t be trusted and yet this woman ended up on her own with it
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TB from a farmer…
I will no doubt get some hate for this but i’m past caring. We rear cattle to the best of our ability with health and welfare a paramount.Friday/Monday was our 6 month TB test. We are in a hotspot, it’s been found in the wildlife and it’s in cattle around us /1
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Reality’s of farming. Went out to a 500kg heifer that had broke its front leg this morning. Very lucky to have an amazing butcher/slaughter man locally who came out and butched her for us. Making the best from a bad situation. The family will feast well for a while.
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Some may not like this, but today we did a beast for ourselves. Many farmers do this, totally with in the laws. Home kill. This bullock will feed our family for the next 6-12 months, zero food miles, zero stress, one wormer and one fluke drench. Like most of our cattle.
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I’d be lying if i said i don’t get a little excited by a steam train. Right outside the front door and the re wiggled river…
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PLEASE SHARE
Let’s get UK ag back on mainstream TV. Open the doors, let people in. We have nothing to hide and we have a duty to educate people on what we do. Please tag anyone you may think might be able to help…
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Sorry for lack of posts. It’s been a shit 10 days so far. 6 out of 8 of us including james have had Covid. When people tell you baby’s can’t get it, it’s bollocks. Little fella had 5 days of hell. Please take care, stay home and watch
#ThisFarmingLife
tomorrow night. it’s back.
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So that’s a wrap. What an amazing experience, hopefully done Uk agriculture proud. Work hard, work together and work clever. Thanks to all involved, especially the crew. Made some friends for life. Great series with some great farms. Keep following our journey.
#ThisFarmingLife
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Bit grim for some. But unfortunately you don’t always win the fight. She was 14, head had to take over from heart. Tried for a week but she couldn’t get up. Sometimes the most humane thing to do. Part of our job that’s never shown. The reality is, we all have to face it.
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So it’s official, BBC 2, 8pm on the 18th of August.
#thisfarminglife
is back. The amazing crews have been following us for the last 12 months through one of the hardest years as a family we will ever have. Hope everyone tunes in. Please retweet and spread the news.
#Farm24
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Bloody Farmers keeping sheep for wool!!!!
Just shy of 1.4tonne of wool comes to £139.54
In a world that people stand and shout about oil wearing synthetic fibres, yet wool is a waste product. I think i’m going to try compost ours next year. Surely worth more as feed for soil.
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First batch is away… 220 outside today… What a feeling for beast and farmer…
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Is there any better sight.... calving 2021 let’s have you....
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Sometimes you get a win.
This little chap was struggling, he hasd scour. He was flat out, we tubed 3-4x a day for the last 4 days, antibiotics and a warm jacket.This morning,he was on his feet and suckling. In a year as bad as it’s been, we will take that.
What a f***ing spring
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TB free for another 6 months. What a hellish weekend wondering and i swear you see lumps on cows in your sleep.
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So my plea to farmers, please keep telling the story. Change is only possible if people know the truth, if people know the strain we are under, if people see in real life. We need cooperation around the subject and truth and science has to come first. Sorry for the ramble…
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Had a setback this morning, James had some of his award winning duck eggs stolen from his honesty box, lowest of the lows stealing from a 2 year old. Anyway he is still upping production for all the honest people. All entrepreneurs face set backs.
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Amazing how many people have shared this and are still doing it.This is what social media is about, learning.Roll a sheep will save its life. The amount of messages received on this is amazing. People yesterday out on walks rolled stuck sheep because of seeing the video. Thankyou
Please please please while out and about, if you see a sheep like this, roll her over. You will save her life…
We call this kessed in Cumbria, but it has lots of names. Fact is, if she’s on her back, she shouldn’t be. Thanks and please share…
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Thread…⬇️⬇️⬇️ sorry but feel free to comment and share.
Lots of people banging the drum on here at the moment about food production, biodiversity crisis, supermarkets not paying, ministers lying. Feels like as farmers we are walking with a blindfold in to the unknown on one leg
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This Farming Life is back...... Wednesday 6th Jan, 8pm BBC 2. Please share away and get it out there folks..... Something to look forward to again....
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Not great at putting my words across but please have a listen.
UK ag needs you, food production needs you.
We are heading full steam
in to a very dangerous position as a nation.
Politics only seems bothered about votes.
Please reply with your thoughts???!
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First 400 cattle passed the TB test today, 150 to do next week and hopefully that’s us clear until the next test in 6 months time. I just wish Gov would listen and care about the constant mental strain this puts on farmers. Please listen to people on the ground, not just advisors
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Boss knocks it out the park again. We have had 12 hours sleep in 3 days. Team work makes the dream work.
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The boss mans 1 today. Time seems to of disappeared. Fingers crossed it won’t be long until i don’t have to get out of bed. He can nearly sat Tractor so that practically means he can drive doesn’t it? Happy Birthday little man.
#jamesis1
#ThisFarmingLife
#babynolonger
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Thank you to everyone for there shares, likes and comments. Network rail got in touch, we have found her dead, hit by a train. Family member lost.
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@farlamshorthorn
Why? is my wife less capable than
me? They are as much her cows as they are mine.
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Brighten anyone’s day up this. Even the most anti farmer loves a skipping lamb. Pet lambs doing well.
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We went clear on our TB test today. We test every 6 months because we are in a Hot spot.
It’s always a worry. A whole week stressing about it. Cattle stressed, don’t eat, don’t grow. The cost to the buisness for the week of test in lost weight gain and lost work hours is massive.
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A video of the calving shed and a brief run through of how we do it…
This cow has been with us for 7 years, she’s calved every year. She’s one of the quietest cows on the farm. This is why you should never trust any of them. Last night wasn’t a good one. Dani is ok, just bruised, but if she was lone working it could of been different. Hellish.
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Having huge issues with staff at the moment…any advice welcome, youth of today don’t seem to give a shit.
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Long shot but our collie Nessa is lost in the Penrith, Hackthorpe and shap area. She’s been gone 24hrs now, totally not like her. She’s only 8 months old, quite quiet and will be scared stiff. Any spotting please let me know.
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This is hardcore sheep farming. 7 men and 16 dogs out today, covering two valleys. Serious skill set to work dogs up here and work strategy’s for gathering. We are lucky, we run a very young team who love a challenge and seeing your dogs run and work through crags is everything.
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Remember the heifer that broke its leg?
She wasn’t a big one, just 15 months old, around 450kgs. But my word, she’s turned in to some lovely steaks and roughly 300 meatballs and 150 (proper) burgers plus some mince we kept for James fave lasagne.
Take positives from negatives.
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Date night on the farm. The boss doing what she does best. Huge calf, right decision, mum and baby both doing well. Always amazes me.....
#calving
#datenight
#thisfarminglife
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A final update…
We are done in with it all. I’ll leave it to
@oxfordfarming
to do what they believe is the correct thing. Personal views like that on social media should be instant resignation or told to leave before you drag others down with it. But what do we know…
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When my best buddy thinks he’s big enough to ride on the buddy seat. Trying to pinch mums seat. We have had many date nights in the tractor. I do know how to spoil my wife.
#farmbaby
#ThisFarmingLife
#thrimbyfarms
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That my friends is what we call a shit start to the day. 8 years old, calved 6 times, bred some real corkers.
Did we miss something? have we not done our jobs properly? Thoughts that go though every stockpersons heads. I show this because i want people to know…1/2
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Day one of Tb testing. 6 monthly testing. We haven’t had it, we are in a hotspot. The stress and anxiety it causes is something that many people don’t see with farmers. I don’t sleep well, i don’t think straight. I worry about the cows, our buisness and our livelihood.
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Is this progress. 9 years between the two.
9 years ago we farmed 300 sheep and 20 Cattle. 2 tractors with over 65 years experience between them.
Today we have around 400 head of cattle, 1200 ewes plus 350 hoggs. 2 tractors with 10 years experience and a loadall.
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4200 trees have landed today for phase one of the new project. Planting this weekend, anyone at a loose end and wanting something to do in the fresh air, DM me and we will get something sorted. Soup and coffee or something stronger on offer.
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5 years today…
Last Sunday I’d wondered if i’d make it to 5 years but here we are. She’s a ⭐️
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TB testing day 1 ✅
Just shy of 300 animals out through our new handling system. Talk about money well spent. At no point today did anything get stressed, no one came close to death and we finished in half the time. Now the dreaded wait. 🤞🏻for Friday.
#TB
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Happy mother’s day to all the mothers out there. The boss has been on call all day and night. Lambing’s, sick cows and poorly cats and dogs. A service we all take for granted wether we are farmers or pet owners. We will celebrate with a sleep.
#MothersDay2021
#vet
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Farm to fork.
This animal will feed us as a family for the majority of the coming year. The reality is, we breed them, we kill them and we eat them. All the time while dead or alive they are treat with the highest standard or care. Quite frankly, the best in the world.
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A lot of opinions,negativity and “my way or the high way” floating around on twitter at the moment from others in the industry, if you read and believed it all i’m sure it will get you down.Lots of negativity about new entrants and young people. Here is just one boy and his lambs
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A genuine question…
I’m Struggling to get my head around some things i am seeing on Twitter at the moment. What is it farms like ourselves (mixed beef, sheep and a little arable) are doing so badly wrong? We produce nutritious food, pay wages and i think do it well.
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Over the moon to pick up the “Tenant farmer of the year” award at the
#cumbriafarmerawards
An award that wouldn’t be possible without the team that we have and the team that work with us. Congrats to all the other winners and competitors. Great evening and a great buzz.
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Good luck to those lambing and calving, our 2 months of hell starts tomorrow. Fingers crossed for some sunshine, grass and health new borns. Shaver gets put away, bath doesn’t get used much and we age 10 years..... see you on the other side....
#lambing
#ThisFarmingLife
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Mum and Son doing well, enjoyed her silage and cake while baby fed. We tend to try and avoid a C-sections like most farmers, but when we do get one it’s nice when it’s a future star.....
#babyboy
#blue
#sim
#thisfarminglife
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One of the worst weeks of the year.TB testing,a problem that was almost eradicated in the UK not that many years ago. Now it’s everywhere. We are among the lucky ones and went clear today.A week of sleepless nights and thinking every cow has a lump. Beer tonight
#ThisFarmingLife
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Been a bit radio silence these last few days. Took a bad turn on Sunday. Luckily the tremendous NHS doctors have got me sorted. Hoping to be home in the next few days after having a telling from a doctor of no work, no doubt i’ll get the same at home. Thanks to the team at home.
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It’s been a bit of a shit day, dead calf, heifer with the splits, couple of dead ewes and two calves with pneumonia.
When i’m having a shit day i usually have 5 mins with my cows, tomorrows another day and when you’ve so many animals it’s inevitable they won’t all live.
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The moment you realise fert, feed and fuel prices don’t really matter, we still have a roof over our heads and food in our belly’s. Dancing needs abit of work mind.
#ThisFarmingLife
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Don’t judge. He had had a bad day, got stuck twice with his muck spreader and Murray had to tow him out..... got to be a great advert for Bud....
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This is Farming.
Days spent thawing pipes, sat doing cattle passports and flick through the cameras to find a cow has been knocked in to the trough. The best £2500 we have ever spent. It saved this girls life,shed bred us 3 bulls that we have sold and two females in the herd 1/2
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Staff taking the piss level 1000. Late back after watching the football, bruised toe. (recons it’s from dropping his tractor on it) completely useless today and not one single fuck was given…..
#staff
#ComeOnEngland
#thisfarminglife
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For all those assuming the calf has been robbed from her. Here’s the cow pretty relaxed.
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Twitter followers, with all the news, aggression and rubbish floating around, i wanted to try throw some positivity around. Let’s see if we can make a thread of farm pictures showcasing Uk agriculture… add your pics, retweet and let’s
#BackBritishFarming
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Tell me a better supper? washed down with beer.
Born, raised and finished on our farm.
I’m waiting…
🥩🥩🥩
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Boss man got a day off at lambing to get his hernia fixed. Massive thank you to the amazing staff at the RVI Hospital in Newcastle. A packet of
@walkers_crisps
quavers always fixes the tears and the appetite. Back to work tomorrow young man, just no heavy lifting...
#covidbaby
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Totals are in. 19acre of high Red clover second cut, 170 bales on the nose. Zero inputs this year other than spring graze. Unreal. As the last bale fell out the baler it started to rain. So i think i’ll do the euro millions this week.
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Some of the girls are feeling sad this morning on realising they are slowly ruining the world for the next generation. As we try tackle the problem as a industry and make them feel better this bank holiday we reflect and watch the M6....that never stops.
#funnyoldworld
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Some day today on only our second year breeding mule gimmer lambs. We averaged £121 for 115 sold. £30 up on last year. I know trades strong but it’s a credit to everyone at Thrimby with that sort of improvement. Beer, steak and bed tonight. Good day in the office
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Proud husband moment. The boss cracked this out last week.
“can you get me some wood in the morning to sit my naked cake on”
After getting shouted at for not coping with “morning, wood and naked” in the same sentence we got sorted.Talented is our lass. this is why i am now fat
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Get the feeling that winter routine will be slower this year…
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Empty girls away this morning. We always get down after sending them, they have provided for us and in return we have given them the best life. Some of these are 12-14 years old. That said, they are a valuable part to our cash flow. Head, heart and buisness is a constant juggle
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Tonight is the final episode of
#ThisFarmingLife
8pm BBC2 don’t miss it. Especially if your in to little balers.
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It’s been some week. I’ll fill you in over the next couple of days, but this lass has just topped the week off. A lovely little heifer calf, she’s 10 and it’s the first heifer she has had. We have been waiting for 6 years. Beef shorthorn, the future.
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@1rorycowan
Both Cow and lady are in good health today. I wanted to highlight the dangers of working long hours with cattle and i think it has had a effect.
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4 years ago to the day we got our first dairy blue calves. The addiction took hold and now we have around 600.
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The first calf from our young bull Norbreck Olympia. Small birth weight, calved naturally unassisted. Calf up and away. Lucky really because mum is a touch fruity. She’s one of the quietest cows on the farm usually.
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James has re-vamped his egg box. Eggs back on sale at Thrimby Hall and Thrimby grange.
We lost faith for a while as they were getting pinched.
Anyway,we are back going again, but please don’t be a dick and ruin the magic for James.We only have a few hens for James to learn with
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Ade mate, don’t use the emissions issue as a way to try get people to eat less meat. Just because you don’t like the killing of animals doesn’t mean everyone else does.This video is protein created from utilised Carbon. I’m sure you used to present on Countryfile once? says a lot
Is it time to ban beef? 🐮
Journalist and presenter Ade Adepitan argues that the production of beef is so bad for the environment that eating it should be thought of as "the new smoking".
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A Irish celeb that i’ve actually paid money to see making throw away comments like this on a post where someone’s wife/mother and daughter could of been killed. Shared to raise awareness of dangers in the industry. Cheers mate.
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When you dress up and realise your no longer a fine wine, more a 2 for 1 in Aldi. Top tip for anti ageing. Don’t have a child….. No lotions and potions will work.
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Sound on for this one…
Our little cumbrian, with a voice like a cumbrian. He is just ace. This is the reason we flog our pans in every day. To help him achieve what he wants. Even if at the moment he dreams about been a fireman farmer in space eating chocolate coins with granda
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Proud as punch she is….
This is better than any political shite…
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Another day, another gate left open. Please please please when visiting the lakes, don’t be in the minority, respect who work and live here and enjoy it. This resulted in a dead ewe and wet farmer. On a weekend where we have had a baby lamb worried. Please respect the Lakes
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This job is like a addiction…
Does anyone else see it as that?
Content cattle and sheep are my addiction i’m sure. Although i’m sure there are cheaper and better addictions to have.
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Red tractor inspection next week. Our handful of hens we have are not supposed to go near any of the cattle food for cross contamination on the feed. This would be a non compliance. Starlings on the other hand…. Complete bastards.
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Well, what a day.
Over 200 cars and 600 people through the doors today. Thanks so much to the team and all our supporters. We have put farming in to so many homes today and shown how all these business’s work together to put amazing food on the table and improve biodiversity.
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Lunch for the week. Cold beef sarnies for everyone. Born, raised and killed here at home. It always tastes better.
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