Mrs Down's Diary

What? No longer to be denigrated? Classed as scum of the earth? Gorgers of taxpayers' millions? Creators of vast mountains of food that no-one wants?

Apparently not. Mr Cameron, our new bestest friend, thinks that as a nation we must produce more of our own food to make sure that we "reconnect with our customers".

Meanwhile, the Government and Mr Brown (who, let us not forget, has presided over a widening gap in self-sufficiency from 72 per cent of food being home-produced to now only 60 per cent) wants a rural community that is a "thriving hub of activity".

He wants farmers to work with ministers to ensure farming has a future.

Excuse me. We are already working. Physically. It's Whitehall and Defra who are lopping 17 per cent of every single farm payment to fund European and English modulation, a murky benefit that encompasses ideas such as daft advertising schemes with ageing sportsmen to promote beef and lamb, and tortuous environmental schemes and regulations for a host of penpushers.

Plus we are now going to be expected to share the cost of animal health and welfare when it falls foul of Government incompetence, such as Pirbright, and buy vaccines from the Government for such diseases as bluetongue. Not at a competitive rate, I presume.

However, listening to Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Hilary Benn soon allows you to return to that familiar, comfortable feeling of being misunderstood and up against a regime that hasn't a clue about real-life farming.

He even seems to have been listening too closely to Radio Four and The Archers in his proposals for anaerobic digesters.

Back in the real world, however, the water pipes have been frozen up in the foldyard, so the main priority at home has been to thaw them out so that the herd can get a drink.

The lambs we brought in to fatten up are huddled together for warmth under the big shed. Just think how much colder they would be out in the field, I tell them.

These are the lambs that we wormed around Christmas. Well, half of them are.

At that time, the weather was very wet and they were not doing too well on grass. John went through the flock and pulled out the poorest doers to worm first.

They have done well, but as there was a 56- day withdrawal period they are still within that time and not ready to go to market yet.

The lambs John thought were doing well, and did not need worming have not thrived to the same extent, so he has wormed them as well but with a wormer requiring a shorter withdrawal period, so hopefully all of last year's lambs will be away by the time we start lambing again at the end of March.

An update on the calves . . .

The calf abandoned by its mum has been adopted by another cow and is thriving.

The twins' fortunes are mixed. John decided that he could no longer keep their mum penned up, as she had stopped eating and was not producing enough milk for both of them.

The stronger calf has stayed with her in the yard and is feeding well. The weaker calf requires supplementary feeds twice a day '“ a time-waster when you have to follow it round the yard for feeds.

Corn versus horn is a lively debate today. With grain prices rocketing, a cold-hearted economist would say don't waste your time on a weak animal, focus on grain production instead.

But they're not farmers.

This feature was first published in the West Sussex Gazette on February 27. To read it first, buy the West Sussex Gazette every Wednesday.