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Sheep Shearing Day Pictures from Iris Green |
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Further pictures of the 2011 |
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Tristan Potatoes exported to St Helena
The idea of sending potatoes to St Helena arose following an email exchange between Ernie Manley, Head of the Governor's Office, and Tristan Administrator David Morley during which Ernie mentioned there was a shortage on the island. David in turn mentioned this to James Glass, Head of Natural Resources Department, who suggested sending some potatoes on the Professor Molchanov, due on Sunday. 5th April, and then en route to St Helena. James tasked Nicky Swain to organise this, and an order was placed through Tracey Corker on St Helena.
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As there is no large scale organised retailing of local produce on Tristan, it was decided to ask the pensioners if they would like to involve themselves. This would give them the opportunity to make some money with which to supplement their pensions.
Everyone here has plenty of potatoes as the harvest has been especially good this year. On average each pensioner household contributed 34kg, making a total of 2 tonnes, which were sacked and loaded onto the cruise ship on sunday 5th April as planned. In addition to the potatoes, mainly the White Blossom variety, some islanders will as usual be sending gifts of potatoes to their friends on St Helena. The community is very grateful to the Molchanov's commander and crew in facilitating this trade, as there are no scheduled shipping links between the islands.
David Morley hopes this can become a regular event.
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Sheep Arrivals The black headed Dorper breed is an interesting cross between the Dorset Horn |
Visiting Vet
Vet Stephen Cannon (whose trip is funded by DfID) is spending several weeks on Tristan working closely with island vet Dereck Rogers. Steve, whose practice is based at Chipping Norton in the Cotswolds, has been a regular visitor to St Helena since 1989, but this is his first visit to Tristan.
The broad purpose of Steve's visit is to deliver training and support to Dereck. In so doing Steve, who is a livestock expert, is involving himself in the busy and varied day to day work of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Department. Steve is taking a close look at all livestock health-related issues as well as animal management and the condition of the island's grazing. Steve has already given the island sheepdogs an MOT. Steve's experience and advice will prove invaluable to the Tristan Government and the wider community. We hope this will be the first of a series of regular visits in the years ahead. It is understood this is the first visit of a vet to Tristan since 1982. |
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Photo of Steve Cannon from Cynthia Green |
Nelson ashore Administrator David Morley took this picture of Nelson, a pedigree Labrador pup just arrived via the Kelso from a kennel in Somerset West on 30th November. Watch this space! |
May Day Arrivals |
Easter Chicks A Photograph from Mike Hentley showing an assorted brood of 11 Tristan chicks on 29th March 2006. Most families keep hens, to supply their own eggs and occasional meat. |
Whose pigs are these? A March 2006 picture of a Tristan Landrace sow with ten two-week old piglets. A draw is to be held, with lucky island families whose names are drawn out of a hat can buy them, feed them and produce their own pork chops, perhaps for Christmas Barbecues in 2006. The boar is a Large White. One of the gilts in the litter is being kept for breeding as Tristan will not import from South Africa whilst there is a swine fever problem. The old sow had become infertile and is now pork chops. So the Grand Tristan Piglet Lottery (drawn on 27th March) was down to 9 lucky tickets. |
Summer Arrival |
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Sheep Shearing Day report from Administrator Mike Hentley - see also Sheep and Woollens Page for related information. |