Sorcha Lewis is a farmer’s wife in the Elan Valley who has photography as a hobby as shown in a previous Pictorial Wales, Dark Skies Over Elan Valley.
On this occasion Welsh Country looks at some cattle on their farm deep in the Elan Valley.
The Lewis family endeavour to farm with nature and the environment in mind for which we as consumers have to be so thankful. But farming is a way of life and these photos, with some of Sorcha’s accompanying notes, gives you a feeling of the highs the lows and the way that farming in this way means that you care for your stock and this at times pulls on the heart strings.
Words & Pictures: Sorcha Lewis
Email: sorcha8216@gmail.com
Instagram: @sorcha_lewis
Feature image: Highland Cow in the Sunrise
Photo Gallery
Birthday to moo!
You shouldn’t have a favourite but how can I not. This is the first calve born at Troedrhiwdraen after a 10 year cattle break. She came below the house and we had to pull her out of the little brook 🙄 so came into the world to be remembered. She’s so quiet and loves a fuss. So it was only right I got a birthday selfie with her yesterday. For my own birthday for she is a summer baby.
The day was lovely. Maybe not for poor DPD man. 😳 Who was a very lovely man but that has no reflection on when you’re caught on the wet ground it just sucks you on in. You may remember last year the postie got stuck followed by Brian the week later. It seems like a bit of a tradition now lol. Luckily the shed made it unscathed and Mr DPD was pleased to escape. I just hope he brings the rest of Christmas now!!! I think Evri man has given up. He holds onto parcels for three weeks or more before delivering. We have a little tidying up to do now! A trip to Leominster followed with the last girl lambs in the trailer. When they were delivered I was then treated to a BLT at a truck stop and a flask of tea. My sort of celebration. 🎉 I even had a wee doze as usual over the Radnor Forest. Soothed by the bumpy Hertfordshire/leominster roads 😱NOT. By the time I get to the soothing winding roads of the forest I’m lulled to sleep and Brian stops making the pot hole groans.
Then there was the birthday tea. Wonderful steak from watsons family butchers and my family clubbed together and I have the most beautiful pair of brown Doctor Martens – with fur! Brilliant. Thank you for the gorgeous flask, Kermit note book and hare pen as well as all the cards. Perfectly spoilt. Now it’s time to get the 🎄up.
So yesterday headed up to the cattle and gave them some food. Big May the brown cow was rather pushy so she did get a scolding for making everyone dull. There is nothing more day dreamy than watching cattle eat.
Two new calves came on the same morning ! They have been kept loose in the shed as the weather was too rough to put any babies out yet. The little bull also had a bit of bow leg from being cramped up, but the wandering and skipping round the barn is starting to strengthen and straightening again.
It’s been all go lol.
Where would we be without big ‘T’
Our Tyson heading down for some hay. Yesterday was so pleasant in the hills. Today not so….. bleak but I’ll update all about that again soon.
Scenery taken in the snow with a blue sky. A wonderful day to get out and do checks and get some hay out.
But this image was also included as a montage of Tyson on a very memorable day for Sorcha and her family. Her reflections and thoughts so worth a minute to let us ponder the depth of affection a farmer has with his/her stock farming in this regenerative way…
Goodbye you old sweetheart 💙
So I’m posting this tonight because tomorrow is going to be a sad day in which I don’t think I’ll want to post this up. I couldn’t not mark the leaving of Tyson from the farm. Hate the idea of him heading into a market having spent most of his life on our hill. We have had to make some tough decisions and let him go. To have had such a good natured easy and hardy bull has on the whole made it easy. Though he has scratched a few fences into oblivion.
We went to tack this morning and sorted out the badger lambs and checked them over. They looked really well and we were given a bag of apples from the farmers orchard – roll on the crumble.
I was apprehensive about getting the replacement ear tag into Tysons ear this afternoon as he just about fits in the cattle crush – he has a huge head. But he went in well and with a bit of feed put down Brian managed to get the tag into his ear. You can hardly see the tags his ears and head are so furry. I love furry headed cattle. We gave him a little scratch and took time to reflect on his time with us. Brian said “I know you will be sad”.
“Yes; but maybe that is a good thing, those things you really care about do make you feel sad the most, and that is also a special feeling, it means it’s been of importance and it’s something precious to your experience in life, it’s a price to pay for love and nice experiences?”
So as one chapter starts with ewes to the tups another ends as Tyson moves on. This is farming – it isn’t always easy days. I am grateful he left me a fairy cow as his progeny. Bye old buddy.
#shorthorn #cwmelan #elanvalley
