Routine jobs take up most of the day at this time of year; feeding, clean-out and milking - leaving only a few daylight hours for outside jobs such as muck-spreading, walling or seeing to lame sheep.

It's a dormant time of year with lots of hard work and not much to show for it, but the long winter evenings, before lambing time and the rush of spring work begin, are a good time to meet up with friends and neighbours at farm discussion groups, training events and farm walks, to share ideas and learn how we can do things better.

As farming becomes more technical and scientific knowledge improves, the benefits of working with industry specialists such as the vets, nutritionists, agronomists, ecologists and economists, when drawing up farm management plans, are greater than ever before.

We had a talk the other night about heifer-rearing, with lots of practical advice gleaned from work on local farms. We heard, for example, about the benefits of the new calf coats. Modern sheds are often less cosy than a byre beneath a hayloft and this is a simple inexpensive way of keeping young calves warm and healthy. It's not a new one: I can remember making jackets from sacks if a calf got chilled; but bulk deliveries mean you don't see hessian sacks anymore - and anyway, the new coats are machine-washable, so you can hand them down.

I think I felt less enlightened after a second talk about the new EU rules for tagging sheep; but it's especially important to keep up to date with the latest research and regulations at a time when food prices are falling and farmers are forced to increase efficiency and cut costs in order to stay in business.

As Fairtrade Fortnight begins, it's worthy remembering that as most farm income is ploughed back into the business, a fair price to the producer is fair not only to the farmer but to the ultimate producers - his animals and the land, both of which deserve the best care we can afford to give them.