The Christmas and New Year period was probably the most challenging since the farm began some 8 years ago with one of the most powerful storm to hit Britain in recent years battering parts of the UK.

At Yalding the farm lost about 20 sheep in the flooding, which was far less than we had thought. The flock at Yalding was over 70 strong. Most of the sheep must have got away from a water surge when the River Medway burst its banks on the Yalding fens.

The farm tried effortlessly to round the flock up just before Christmas Eve when warnings were given, but without success. The rest is history, the farm tried to get to the site in the early hours of light on Christmas day and the same Boxing Day but most of Yalding was seriously under water and access was impossible from any direction.  The sheep were on ground situated near the Anchor Pub.
 
We finally got to the site on the 27^th December, it was a distressing sight, the Animals that died must have been caught in a surge or torrent of water, the others fortunately managed to get away to a little bit of higher ground and survived. The surviving flock were rounded and taken back to the farm at Sutton valence.
  
The other problem was at Teston Country Park where a small herd of Highland cows had been grazing for the last few months. The Country Park was almost totally under water, with the exception of a small wooded area that was on high ground where the cows found sanctuary.  The farm could not get to them as they were surrounded to three sides with flood water and the other side the railway line.  At one point in the early hours of Christmas day the visitors centre and toilet block at the country park was almost submerged under the flood water.  Fortunately the floodwater receded at Teston as quickly as it came and the cows were collected and brought back to the farm.