Con ten ts

With a new sheep shed at Marbrack my lambing beat was indoors this year (front cover) It is probably a bit late for a lambing photo but I loved the way the light made the ewes all stripy!

A trip to Mexico with the International Guild of Agricultural Journalists in February was an eye opener. Our first on farm visit was to a 12 000 head dairy farm. This family run operation also had pig and poultry units, a bakery, ice cream making facilities and a dog food factory Complete circular farming is practised Read all about it on page 4

While I was in the Americas, globetrotting Petra Jacob was at home in the UK for once, with a cider feature from Somerset on page 58

Irish machinery correspondent –Chris McCullough – has all bases covered from trailers to balers, machines for feeding, bedding to loading and the latest in telescopic mower booms and potato planters Start his section on page 43

With the World Sheep Shearing Championships coming up at the Royal Highland Show we have On the Stand interviews with the Scottish Team machine shearers – Hamish Mitchell and Calum Shaw, a history of the World Champs and an interview with current World Champion, Welshman Richard Jones

Other events coming up include: the NSA North Sheep at Bradford House Farm, Northumberland on Wednesday 7th June (see page 40) and the Scottish Beef Event at Dalswinton Estate in Dumfriesshire on the 6th June (p 18)

Scary to hear that Avian Flu is now spreading to mammals, with the death of two raccoons recorded on Prince Edward Island, Canada

by Eilidh MacPherson