Autumn, much like spring, is a season of stark transition. If you were to jump from the beginning to the end, the change would be vast, but it’s a season that begins almost imperceptibly and much of autumn is a time of harvest and plenty, as we make the most of tomatoes, courgettes and fresh herbs before the leaner days of winter return.
Hedges swell with dark fruit and purple fingers gather blackberries by the basket for pies and crumbles. The warm autumn rains have the dry summer grasses growing again and my sheep fatten in the fields as their fleeces begin to thicken ahead of winter. Our neighbour brings his cows down through our higher meadows to pull at the long pasture and spread the wildflower seeds. Sitting among them, I love their peaceful presence; they watch me curiously with doleful eyes and sweet grassy breath.
Towards the end of autumn, fierce storms begin to batter the farm, tearing the burnished leaves from the trees and flooding the veg patch. We
