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Milk for Bridge Farm yoghurt
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Message 1.Â
Posted by littlecandle (U2651900) on Wednesday, 4th July 2007
Given the amount of milk Pat uses for ice cream and yoghurt, and the amount of moaning Tony usually does over practically everything, how come we hear so little about cows/milking at Bridge Farm?
Who usually does it? Remember when Tony put his back out - who did it then?
I'm thinking of the contrast with Brookfield, where the dairy is a major SL.
lc -
Message 2
Posted by Gene Bailey (U2924633) on Wednesday, 4th July 2007
You're quite right, Bridge Farm's story-line does not revolve around general milk production, as at Brookfield, but that is because it's claim to fame is its 'organic' produce. This includes the milk and milk products (ice cream, yoghurt, cheese, etc.) which Tony and Pat cleverly exploit to achieve maximum premium return. There have been many 'organic' story-lines since 1884, so it has already been flogged to death.
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Message 3
Posted by Very Grumpy Sheep (U2496228) on Wednesday, 4th July 2007
IIRC Tom did the milking when Tony had a bad back, it was part of his "returning to the fold" after he had been at odds with Tony over setting up business with Brian.
I agree that you hear more about pulling leeks than about the cows at Bridge Farm. Maybe Brookfield should get some tips from Pat and Tony as their cows never seem to have mastitis or fail TB tests or get stuck when it floods or lose condition due to poor silage (sp?) or anything worthy of comment! -
Message 4
Posted by littlecandle (U2651900) on Thursday, 5th July 2007
Absolutely, Sheepy.
We hear lots about bumpy carrots, vegboxes, etc, but their livestock seem to be wonderfully immune to ailments.
JB -
Message 5
Posted by Keri Davies (U2219620) on Thursday, 5th July 2007
That's a fair point. We do verrrry occasionally show Tony in the dairy but I agree that it's rare.
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Message 6
Posted by Very Grumpy Sheep (U2496228) on Thursday, 5th July 2007
I think it would be interesting to hear more about their livestock. It seems as if there could be issues with how to treat cattle that impact on organic status, such as whether antibiotics are allowed? If not, what would happen if a cow got sick at Bridge Farm?
I remember Tony having a bacon sandwich while with a cow quite recently (not calling Pat names here). -
Message 7
Posted by RosieT (U2224719) on Friday, 6th July 2007
I recall when they first went organic, and asked Mike to look after the herd while they went on holiday. Mike gave a sick cow antibiotics, which set the herd back a few months, as far as getting organic status was concerned. Tony was furious, mike was huffy, but the impression I got was "no antibiotics."
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Message 8
Posted by mike (U2254029) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Fri, 06 Jul 2007 09:57 GMT, in reply to littlecandle in message 1
Bridge Farm is not as close to the Am as other farms (Brookfield, Grange Farm) and so will be less prone to flooding (as was Ambridge Hall, famously). -
Message 9
Posted by Reggie Trentham (U2746099) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Iirc there was a case of a sick cow at Bridge farm some (or possibly many) years ago and a discussion on how to treat it, but that's as far as my memory goes. The use of soapy water seems to be at the back of my mind, but that may have been for the treatment of greenfly on the carrots or somesuch.
For what it's worth I believe organic farmers are allowed to use anti-biotics on their stock in certain circumstances. -
Message 10
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Gosh, I had completely forgotten that Bridge Farm have a herd, in spite of the yoghurt and cheese. I think I'd assumed that when I'd heard Tony in the dairy, he was helping out at Brookfield.
I think it makes sense, from a purely entertainment point of view, to emphasise the different areas of farming at each of the farms on TA: we hear about arable, deer and strawberries at Home; dairy, beef and a bit of arable at Brookfield; and organic farming at Bridge (also John's/Tom's pigs, which are now at Home).
By the way, antibiotics are allowed to be used in organic farming to treat specific cases of infection; it's their *routine* use which is banned. See point 6 at (I did have a link to something with more detail, but can't find it). There's also SA's standards:
I'd be interested to hear occasional mention of the herd at Bridge Farm, but with the emphasis on the herd at Brookfield, I'm glad the emphasis at Bridge is on other aspects of their farming (although we get to hear very little about any of the farming at Bridge these days, and I'd like to hear more, but then I like that family for all their faults).
'Ö' -
Message 11
Posted by RosieT (U2224719) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Yes, cos (nice to see you back) I think my memeory was fom when they wanted to get organic status, and the land/herd had to be fre of non-organic treatments, which Mike Tucker tuckered up.
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Message 12
Posted by arealfarmer (U6473167) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Isn't it ironic that organic farmers will be more reluctant to treat sick animals ,than us "nasty non-organic" farmers , who will as soon as there is a problem?
To be fair, the British organic standards are more sensible than those in USA. I think the UK withdrawl period for mastitis treatment etc is doubled for organic producers, wereas in the US that animal has to leave the herd, or her milk thrown away for all of that lactation.-Sounds like a receipe for a sick cow or a cheating American farmer to me. -
Message 13
Posted by littlecandle (U2651900) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Hi Leapy, hi all
I think it makes sense, from a purely entertainment point of view, to emphasise the different areas of farming at each of the farms on TA: we hear about arable, deer and strawberries at Home; dairy, beef and a bit of arable at Brookfield; and organic farming at Bridge Â
Yes, I can see this makes great sense, and it also means that the agricultural storyline is more rationally distributed and can encompass more areas. It also reflects the mixed farming around the Borsetshire part of the Midlands (which, in my mind at any rate, is firmly fixed as Warwickshire).
But I sometimes feel it is unrealistic not to have the Bridge Farm family sharing concerns, information, etc with the Brookfield branch, given the importance nowadays of the milk and yoghurt entreprise to Bridge Farm.
After all, in this respect they are not in direct competition, and Tony doesn't bear the same grudge against David and Ruth as against Brian, as Brookfield is not exactly an agribusiness.
I think I'd like to hear a bit more about the nuts and bolts how Bridge Farm actually works as a business; not so much the organic status, but what parts pay, where they cross subsidise (does Ambridge Organics actually operate at a profit?), how successful have the carrots been.
And I'd love to know exactly what they put in their vegboxes (yes, I must own up to the chard thread over in the Bull).
lc -
Message 14
Posted by Keri Davies (U2219620) on Friday, 6th July 2007
I'll pass all this on.
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Message 15
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Do pass on my best wishes to the Bridge Farm cows, too, Keri. Oh, and the 'black and whites' at Brookfield, of course.
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Message 16
Posted by littlecandle (U2651900) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Thanks, Keri.
I enjoy the agricultural storylines, and I like to think they're well thought through, partly because I am completely urban and know so little about this subject.
Building a strong, reasonably detailed infrastructure to Bridge Farm (or rather, consolidating and improving our knowledge of what is already well established) would certainly counteract all the criticism that the newer businesses aren't realistic and that in RL they'd never survive, etc.
By contrast, I feel I know much more about Home Farm and its various operations, including the relationship with Borchester Land, and I have much more of an idea of it as a business entity.
In addition, when some of the human or social storylines get a bit far-fetched or overheated, long term listeners can take comfort in the Progression of the Great Meta Story.
(I dare you to put that in Pseuds' Corner.)
lc -
Message 17
Posted by Karenc75 (U8917279) on Friday, 6th July 2007
What was the name chosen for the new cheese, in the end?
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Message 18
Posted by littlecandle (U2651900) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Didn't Ollie call it Sterling Gold?
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Message 19
Posted by Leaping Badger (U3587940) on Friday, 6th July 2007
Grunt-yardle. -
Message 20
Posted by littlecandle (U2651900) on Friday, 6th July 2007
What, not Spile-trosher's Delight?
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