I sit here in the middle of the Covid 19 pandemic and write unapologetically using all the clichés and new phrases we now see as normal.
We are living in unprecedented ,extraordinary and positively scary times .As farmers in many ways we live in our own little bubble of relative safety but no one is unaffected by this crisis .I cannot talk to you about shows we are going to be doing ,events we will attend or even about meeting you all through the Summer.
Sheep however are oblivious to all of this and we all are resourceful and adaptable people, so adapt we must .Becky has done a marvellous job keeping our breed prominent. She and many members attended a record number of sheep events last year and added new ones including Expo at Carlisle.  We rely on you as members to send us photos , articles and good news stories for us to promote on the website ,on social media, advertising and other platforms.
At the time of writing a form of the Premier sale may well go ahead but not as we know it  ,with social distancing ,one way systems, online bidding and probably limited people in the ring. I will keep you informed every step of the way and will try my best to speak to as many members as possible for your views and thoughts.
I urge you to look to every way possible to sell your stock as times are uncertain and ever changing. We are updating the sales page on your website to encourage and facilitate one to one sales. Look at Sell my Livestock, ,social media ,newspaper advertising and online sales. Be prepared to have to adapt to changes and sell if the opportunity arises.
The AGM will almost certainly be a virtual gathering via Zoom ,we will keep you updated regarding this and the council has already had one successful meeting in this format.
Forward thinking to next year we plan a big 21st birthday for the Millennium Bleu with hopefully a couple of Open days .We will relaunch the National Show and will attend many NSA events .
I ask you all to keep safe and look forward to seeing you all soon
Sally Shone ,chair