Vila. Michael Keating, we have a field named after your character.

The Vila paddock used to be a little portion of vineyard right next to the second house on the farm, the villa. So we named it after the Blake’s 7 character. It was seeded into lucerne and dactyle in spring and is doing ok. Curiousfarmer asked about it.

Right now the lucerne is declining for the year and the dactyle is growing. The weeds are starting, too. The weeds don’t worry me since the lucerne takes over late in spring.

Some parts are weaker due to soil differences and the thinner lucerne lets in more little weeds. This doesn’t worry me since the lucerne takes over late in spring.

Overall it is pretty even. It isn’t as rich as the older lucerne fields, but with each mowing it builds up organic matter and fertility.

This is a view down the hill towards Emerson and Florida.

There is plenty of black material on the ground surface. This is the litter from mowing it back a couple of times earlier this year. Being less fertile, the worms and bacteria are slower on the uptake and this is only now breaking down.

The dactyle will get a little stronger over the winter and spring to give the cows something to go with the summer lucerne.

The soil is too soft right now despite the tractor work and the rolling. I want to graze this in springtime to clean off the weeds but it will have to be dry.

I don’t know when we’ll get a good frost. We’ve had a couple of frosty mornings but nothing too cold. This lucerne is going dormant now.

Vila is a south facing field so the lucerne has kept its leaves whereas in flatter fields they have already gone and the grass is taking over.

Well it’s time to hop back in the Liberator and get back to work.