In the last of our series looking back on the best arable Farmers Weekly Farmer Focus quotes from 2006, we hear what they had to say about a more diverse range of topics…

“A cousin of mine has purchased a ship on the Tyne and is about to set sail for Greece. Maybe it’s time I go on it. Peter Hogg (3 February)

“It’s always the same when you’re given plenty of time to complete a task that you haven’t any enthusiasm for – it gets left to the last minute.” Mark Ireland (24 March)

“If nothing else I can go down in FW history as maybe the shortest-lived Farmer Focus writer.” Simon Redfearn (9 June)

 “I have in front of me an entry form for Farmer of the Year. Mmm….” Peter Hogg (23 June)

“With the opening of the gallery our farmyard will be a very different place this summer.” Mark McFerran (21 July)

“With only ‘Highly Commended’ in our village fete’s men’s flower-arranging competition, the signs are that my peak was reached last year.” David Greasby (28 July)

“When the assessor arrived he behaved as if I was some sort of criminal.” Richard Ward (18 August)

“Finally may I thank all at Farmers Weekly for making my contributing spell so enjoyable.” Mark McFerran (18 August)

“No, I have not finished harvest yet. So what’s new?” Steve Bumstead (1 September)

“I’ve suffered no withdrawal symptoms in my first autumn without potatoes.” Andrew Peddie (27 October)

“The family’s leaving is a big disappointment to use. But it is their choice, their life and we respect their decision.” Richard Crewe (10 November)

Public relations
“As long as we keep getting subsidies, nothing will persuade the public that we are not feather-bedded.” Richard Ward (3 February)

“Newspapers had a field day over what farmers received for, as some of them put it, “doing nothing”.” John Jeffrey (24 February)

“It seems bizarre that some children do not know what crisps and chips are made of.” Kevin Littleboy (20 October)

See Farmers Weekly magazine (22 Dec) for a selection of other quotes.