It's official, it's Christmas and it's a great excuse for eating lots, watching television programmes you wouldn't normally contemplate and being sentimental. So the goat does need a Christmas present and the chickens deserve something for their efforts. I'm desperate for a recipe for Christmas cake for ponies - if you have one please do write to me - I know I made one when I was (much) younger. But a sobering thought. I was trying to decide what to have for Christmas dinner as I am not over keen on turkey when I realised that we have more or less what we want most weeks of the year. This is not because we are very rich or very irresponsible but because things like farmed salmon are now very cheap and apart from very large joints, most meat is within the household budget. When I was again much younger, chicken was a treat for Sundays and turkey was unheard of except at Christmas. Salmon was exotic and pheasant was for people other than us! Now all is available at a price many of us can afford. So what shall we do to make Christmas special? I shall try and use as much of our own produce as possible so it may well be a cockerel that is surplus to requirements and I will seek out some locally produced meat and if it can be organic, so much the better. I will even be looking for some English wine, preferably east Anglian, all suggestions welcome! I'd love to hear what your Christmas dinner will be and whether it worked out as planned. There are always many people who eat egg and chips while the turkey stag lives to display another day!

Fallen Stock Scheme Finally Announced

Farmers could register for the National Fallen Stock Scheme from Monday 22 November. The National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCo), which is running the scheme, said collections will start the same day. The National Fallen Stock Scheme, and setting up of the National Fallen Stock Company to run it, is a joint venture reflecting a partnership approach between Government and industry.

Government is providing £10 million in the first year to allow the NFSCo to pay 30 per cent of the costs of collection of fallen farmed stock.

The Scheme will give livestock owners access to a guaranteed, nationwide, biosecure collection service at, what they say, is reasonable prices.

"A helpline, 0845 054 8888, will be open on 25 October to answer any questions that farmers have about the Scheme.

Farms for All

I visited Wimpole Farm recently and was humbled to see so many people and especially children, enjoying the farming experience. You could join in with pig feeding, meet the chicks, groom the donkeys and ride in a shire horse-drawn carriage. I have never done the latter and so it was a really enjoyable new experience. Open farms like this do so much good. They reconnect people with the countryside and also give would-be smallholders the opportunity to look at breeds and management methods close up. We really enjoyed our afternoon - shame there were no turkeys though in the run up to Christmas. Some traditional breeds would have been interesting.

So, there is still time to write some Christmas cards and ponder the ponies' presents. What would I like? Some time to sit down, no change on last year then!