Matt Chatfield

Very lucky to have had a few things written about what I’m up to. But I think this is my favourite. And on this wet Autumn night it’s a reminder Spring will return. Thank Charlie Holland of @Londnr magazine. Charlie really got it. That lad is going places. londnr.com/the-waiting-ga…

Been a perfect storm to produce frankly world class meat. Got masham very fat in the autumn. During the 7 weeks of continual rain they absorbed outer into the muscle (my theory) then totally new fat this Spring. Sheep got an extra 8 months of life. Restaurants doing ok as well!

@JaneEFindlay @BenGoldsmith I believe quickest way to do it is deferred Autumn/Winter grazing. In most of the country that would be with sheep. Thats when we feed worms. Been doing it a few years now. You can get most land holding a huge amount of water in about two years.

@BenGoldsmith On farmland, “slow the flow” means practical, productive change: restoring soil structure and organic matter so it absorbs and holds water; using cover crops and reduced tillage; reinstating hedgerows, field margins and contour planting to intercept runoff; creating leaky dams…

Why does Britain flip so violently back-and-forth from flooding to drought every year? Simple. It’s because our farmed landscapes have been engineered down to the last field to drain away water as fast as possible. linkedin.com/pulse/last-yea…

What a mom!

Has anyone seen my sheep? On here apparently.

@paulpowlesland @TrooperSnooks It’s a very important question. What type of farming system does your diet support. I suspect very bad ones.

@TrooperSnooks @cornishgrill I don’t eat breakfast and it’s a silly question designed to distract.

I went out for an hour with the dogs this dawn. I met 29 different bird species, that I could i.d. anyway, brown hares, rabbits, roe and muntjac(😡). Highlights were the grey partridge and willow warbler. Farming and nature rub along quite happily here, ignore the naysayers.

@paulpowlesland @TrooperSnooks What did you have for breakfast? Important question actually. You hate farmers but interesting to know how your diet affects the environment.

@TrooperSnooks Where it is in the best interests of nature, yes.

@HustleBitch_ Not as good @sam_bardsley

🚨 ARIANA GRANDE WORKS AS A CHILI’S WAITRESS — AND PEOPLE ARE LOSING IT OVER HOW DIFFERENT SHE LOOKS An old video is resurfacing... and people can't believe what they're seeing. Ariana Grande working tables at a Chili’s in Encino for a fundraiser singing “Happy Birthday” to customers mid-shift. Fans are locked in on one question: What caused such a drastic change in her appearance? 📹 - anitrain /YT

@reigate_legend @ThatsSoVillage That’s sort of the point. It’s village cricket. Players quite happy looking for a ball. Mostly farmers. Probably looking at what’s growing in the field.

@cornishgrill @ThatsSoVillage Indeed - so why waste time looking for it? Just replace with another new ball and send batting lineup and children over to find the original

What's the most village thing that happened in your match at the weekend? 🏏

@reigate_legend @ThatsSoVillage The first ball was a new ball.

@cornishgrill @ThatsSoVillage Ball was relatively new then…so why waste so much time looking for the original?

@ThatsSoVillage Forgot to add. 3rd ball he attempted the same. Broke the handle on his new bat. Took five mins to get a replacement. First over lasted 25 mins and cost their team £370.

@ThatsSoVillage 2nd ball of the season. Huge six. Ball lost in cow field. New ball needed after a 15 minute search.

@BenGoldsmith Not what the article says Ben. They want to be part of the discussion. In Spain they feed their big birds of prey introductions huge amounts of carrion. Seen it. Unreal. They have to eat something.

Lake District farming representatives gear up to obstruct the reintroduction of golden eagles to their former range south of the border. newsandstar.co.uk/news/26052108.…

@BenGoldsmith @CitizenZoo Looks great. Any swallows?

I’ve been lucky enough to visit Wild Tolworth with @CitizenZoo this Earth Day - one of a growing number of volunteer-managed rewilding sites in London. It’s heaven here!

Prolific year for empties not being empty and dung flies. Enjoying both.

@ZwartblesIE not expected from my flock of culls. Mum got a lot of milk and decent grass - and my full attention! Fingers crossed!I think dad might be a different breed.

The beauty of a coppice woodland-little visit to the hazel coppice and a block I cut last year. A sheer joy to work in these woodlands and carry on these ancient practices which produce beautiful habitats and sights like these.

📃 In farming, the rule is, you don’t win them all but you try your f**king best everytime. 📄 Not sure what the outcome for this little lass will be, don’t really know what’s up with her if we are totally honest. Born this morning, just not getting going. We will try our hardest as ever, this is just the reality of livestock. It could be the best calf you’ve ever bred, but that’s only if they live.

@BenGoldsmith Here now. I was hoping this would be the year there would be an explosion in sharp flowered rush. None when I started. Huge amounts coming up now. And stone chats singing everywhere. It’s not rocket science. It’s just moving sheep about. But feels like a miracle.

@BenGoldsmith If at Coombeshead this year pop over. 5 miles away Using sheep to turn very sick pastures into rush pasture/culm grassland for a BNG project. Got 30 years. Doing pretty well in two. Before we fix nature we need to get land holding water. Better to show than shout.

‘Ireland’s hills are victims of policy that hurts farmers and nature’ Ireland too is now waking up to the costs to society and to nature of cramming the hills with sheep. Upland sheep ranching in Britain and Ireland has been an ecological catastrophe. irishtimes.com/environment/20…