With the carrot crop just about finished and potatoes going steadily, we have finally had a chance to catch up on jobs which have been put off while we have been busy. Spouts have been repaired and gates for a cattle handling pen have been finished after 12 months of waiting.

We also have a water main leaking somewhere under the yard, which is a nightmare as we don’t know its exact position and could do without having to dig up the whole yard.

Drain washing is a yearly chore and although it is quite time consuming I am sure it pays to keep our drains running. All the potato land drains will be done and our local drainage contractors are booked to come and put a new system into one particularly wet field.

Machinery maintenance has also been on the agenda with our old mounted Hardi sprayer first on the list. It should have been replaced two years ago, but after pricing up a few different options for a new one, I picked myself up off the floor and decided to keep it another year.

I fear, though, we will have to change it this year. We have always had a mounted sprayer, but are thinking of trying a trailed or even self-propelled machine to improve work rates.

Prices for new machines are a bit steep so a good second-hand will probably be the best option. I am not sure if a trailed machine would travel as well on our soft peaty land or whether to stick with a mounted machine with a front tank. More research needed, I think.

One new machine we have splashed out on is a new John Deere tractor, which should arrive in early March. Hopefully it will get put straight to work if the weather holds up.

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