Amy Eggleston: I’m more optimistic about second half of 2020

We can all agree that the first half of 2020 has been a crazy rollercoaster.

Here in Leicestershire, we started the new year with our busiest but shortest calving season so far, followed by a late turnout to grass due to wet ground conditions and large amounts of rain.

Since then, we’ve seen the weather swing the other way, had a successful start to our fertility season – oh, and a global pandemic thrown in there, too. 

See also: Amy Eggleston – Social media is a force for good and bad

Looking back, it’s safe to say the past six months have been a time I won’t forget.

In January, when my parents visited my brother in New Zealand for three weeks and left me in charge, my main concern was ensuring I didn’t set the house alight, or lose one of their four, beloved dogs.

Fast-forward a couple of months, and we were competing with plummeting milk markets, facing labour shortages and waving at grandparents and family members from metres away – oh how times change!

Moving on – and up

Now the lockdown rules have started to ease, and the grass is growing again (thank goodness), I’m finding it much easier to stay positive and motivated looking ahead into the second half of the year.

We’ve had a successful start to our fertility season, with 58% of the cows in calf within the first 20 days. It looks like we’re set for another busy spring next year – let’s just hope this time we can go out and celebrate at the end of it!

In the second half of the year, hopefully with coronavirus cases declining globally, I am looking forward to reconnecting with family and friends again, and getting some time off farm, maybe even going abroad for a holiday.

I feel much more optimistic about the months to come and hope that the public support for the NFU food standards campaign will bring positive change for food produced here in the UK.