I expect most of your lambing is over by now and hope that you have had a good season. To those of you who have experienced their first season with the Easy Care breed I hope that they have lived up to expectations. I am always disappointed to see any barren ewes, of which unfortunately there are a few around this year again and of course, the odd dead lamb. I often think that aiming at 200% lambing and only achieving about a 175% makes you feel that you have failed, especially when you see your losses in the shape of dead lambs and dry ewes, whereas if you grow a crop of barley and aim at 3 tons per acre and only achieve 2 tons then you don't physically see your losses.

There is a great deal of wisdom in some of the old sayings concerning farming and one that springs to mind is "Buy a sheep - buy a spade even so buy a sheep"!

I have recently attended more than one meeting regarding the proposed CAP mid term review which is undoubtedly the most revolutionary proposal to affect farming since the 1947 agricultural act. Those of you old enough will remember that the post war government were determined that never again would British farming be allowed to slide to the depthes of the 1930s, when our leaders blatantly told us that British farmland should be used for recreational and environmental purposes and that we could import all the food from the Americas and Australasia. When the Second World War broke out and the food convoys were being sunk there was a very sudden change of heart - have we seen the circumstances making a complete cycle I wonder?

However, our lot is not to wonder why but to do or die. Tha CAP proposals, and they are probably going to be adopted, will mean that we will have to adapt our system of farming accordingly. There are many prophets around but the one I tend to agree with most is Dr David Oglethorpe, head of land economy at the Scottish agricultural college, who predicts a fall in employment - any system that involves paying somebody else to work will suffer from the loss of incentive to produce. There will be a turn to the "I'll just manage by myself" attitude predicts Dr Oglethorpe. I have no need to remind you that this is in line with our philosophy of easy care low cost farming - we are on the right track!

The Open Day is arranged to take place here at Glantraeth on Saturday 24th May, starting at 11 a.m. when you can drive through the elite flock which will be in the field between the main entrance and the restaurant car park. Then we'll have about an hour to inspect the 50 or so yearling rams which will be penned, also a few females. The AGM will take place at the restaurant at 12 noon and all members and prospective members are summoned to attend. A bar lunch will be available from approx. 12.30 followed by the afternoon conference when we will have the opportunity to hear Dr. John Vipond of the Scottish Agricultural College telling us his views on the Easy Care system of sheep farming, and Dr. John Parsons from the Isle of White speaking about his 10 years experience with the Easy Care breed. I hope you will all be here and please do bring your friends - Anglesey is a lovely place to visit anyway!

Since it's inception, the Easy Care breed has been selected for three factors and three factors only, namely unassisted lambing, no wool and no horns. All the sheep accepted as pedigree Easy Care have now achieved the above and the time has come to move a stage further and choose one or two other qualities. I have listed some of them below and would appreciate it if you would number them in order of your preference with the aim ultimately to breed the perfect sheep.

Fertility
Longevity
Confirmation
Growth Rate
Size
Lean Carcass
Docility
Freedom from Foot Troubles
Freedom from Parasites
Mothering Ability
Any Other - Please Specify

Iolo Owen

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