I can tell you now you do not go very long with every cow
calf and bullock having two tags; we buy at least ten replacement tags every
year.
Then there’s the satellite mapping saga, with the
measurement of Field Margins, cropping areas, wildlife strips, barbed wire
boundary fences (which the satellites cannot see)
A few years ago we had an official came with an assistant to
physically measure all our fields with a measuring wheel, they were here two
days and brought camping gear, stove and kettle and food in a rucksack (I was
surprised they did not demand a mobile toilet)
We have 36 fields from 0.2 Hectare to 9 H. and on conclusion
of his epic job said he would send me the results in two weeks time. So after
two more weeks of pouring over the maps of my farm, the results arrived, and I
was amazed that I had gained an extra field, I had now got 37 fields, it took
me a whole day to work out where the field map number belonged (I have heard of
map numbers, given out by the RPA refereeing to an area of “land” in the middle
of the North Sea)
It was in fact the house and garden of a neighbour, whose plot
of land juts down into our farm land from the road side, the measuring man had
measured round the outside of the garden while measuring the adjacent fields,
and when back in the office forgot that that bit of land was in fact a garden
and house and included it as my land.
Upon ringing him up to tell him of his error, of which he
totally denied he could ever make an error.
The fact he had an extra field and an extra 0.22Hectares he
was very pleased that he had proved me wrong in my mapping and was trying hard
to justify his and his assistant’s existence and his “hard work” for two weeks.
He must have been very embarrassed when I pointed out to him
that he had included my neighbours land and house, and that my mapping and
areas of fields were in fact right. (that was until they started satellite
mapping) then they wanted a field adjusted up by 0.002H and the next field less
.002H with my total area still being correct.
If you can’t beat the join them, I think I will apply for a
soft government job like that, I always be his assistant and brew his tea.
