So, it's safe to say that the last 12 to 18 months haven't been particularly kind to us. Both on and off the farm we've been hit emotionally, mentally and financially. Thankfully, one thing that has remained intact is the physical health of the family here at Cilwg.

As owners of a pedigree breeding herd of non-short Dexters, considering which bull to hire is an annual task. It’s usually pretty stress free; to date, all our bulls have come from the same location, roughly about 25 miles away. It normally just takes a quick telephone call to organise dates and times, and the bull duly arrives, delivered (and later collected) by his owners. It’s a pleasant social event over a cup of coffee at the kitchen table where we catch up with all manner of things – not necessarily agricultural.

This time, things were different…

We’ve recently been asked why, when we keep a pedigree herd of Dexter cattle and a pedigree herd of Boer goats, do we rear cross-bred sheep, and - very often, but not always – cross-bred pigs. It’s a valid question, but one which has perfectly logical answers.

Our pigs have had an interesting few weeks. Let’s fill you in on their antics…

Barbecue pulled pork has become all the rage, but have you ever tried pulling a lamb shoulder? It works wonderfully!