For the first time in the farm’s history we will finally operate out of one main yard, bringing together our grain storage, chemical store and workshop facilities.

This has only been possible as our colleagues moved to the new drinks production facility down the road, freeing up some space.

It means I finally have a respectable office suitable for receiving guests with all the mod cons, including a toilet and a kettle – exciting times.

Congratulations to the organisers of Lamma, another hassle free show.It took me the best part of two days to look around, although I have to admit to covering some of the ground twice as there’s no natural flow to the show.

See also: Read more from our arable Farmer Focus writers

Thanks to Case IH for providing me refreshments twice on each day – all the aisles seemed to lead there.

The 20th birthday cake for the Quadtrac proved to be popular although I missed it on both days. Oh well, they might make another cake for the 25th birthday.

The most exciting thing I saw was a low-disturbance subsoiler leg for under £100 from JJ Metcalfe and will be fitted to our mk5 oilseed rape drill – more on that another day.

The cold snap in early January allowed us to give our new Challenger Rogator sprayer a run out, finishing the Kerb (propyzamide) application on our winter rapeseed.

I have to say how impressed I am with the Challenger, the boom is by far the most stable I have ever experienced and in keeping with our old model it is accurate to within a couple of litres on a tankful.

The twin-fold boom compared with our previous tri-fold affair has halved the fold-up time giving us yet more efficiency and 50kph compared with 40kph will help where suitable to use.

One month in to my New Year’s resolutions and I’m going to have to give up.

My shooting has found a new all-time low hitting less than 50% and Millie superdog decided she was bored of waiting for the drive to end on the past two shoots

Back to the drawing board.

Keith Challen manages 1,200ha of heavy clay soils in the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire, for Belvoir Fruit Farms. Cropping includes wheat, oilseed rape and elderflowers. The farm is also home to the Belvoir Fruit Farms drinks business