David's Digest

Wheat on this farm is seldom fit to combine before mid August. But when I rubbed out a sample on our first drilled field yesterday morning it was 16% moisture and looked like it would thresh. So, at lunchtime we made a start and it went well. According to the continuous flow weigher on the combine we gathered 87t off just under 20 acres (8ha) with grain at 76hl. A good result and better than I had expected.

Flushed with this success we decided to try the next field drilled last autumn. In the gateway it looked as fit as the first. But half way round the headland it was clear that the heavier land there had not allowed the grain to ripen as fast and we had to stop combining. We looked at two or three other fields to see if they were ready but, like the one we had just had to abort, ripening was variable.

We'll just have to wait a few more days. And fortunately, and I say this with fingers and toes crossed, the forecast for the east of England is improving after today and tomorrow.

 According to our local forecaster we can expect fine weather from Saturday onwards, probably for several days. Lets hope the met office has got it right this time and that we'll be able to harvest lots of grain that doesn't need drying. With values where they are we need to keep costs to a minimum as well as gather decent yields.

Believe it or not our wheats are still not fit to combine. Some are getting close but most have ears sticking straight up mixed in with those curled over like a shepherds crook. What's worse, we have fields where one end would go but the other end needs a week of sun. But if this fine weather continues some of those fields will have to submit to the cutter bar within a day or two, come what may.

At least we haven't been wasting the weather. We cut over thirty acres of second crop grass on Saturday. On Sunday we were able to make some of it into haylage for the horses and although a few spots of rain (about 9 I think) fell on the rest of the swathe yesterday afternoon, its practically fit to make hay today. As soon as the sun breaks through the clouds I'm off to turn it one more time so we can bale it this afternoon.

Why do we take the trouble to make haylage and hay? you may wonder. Well, we have a livery here with several disparate customers (mainly ladies) and some think their horses like haylage while others believe theirs like hay better. Its a bit like fashion. Some like big hats and mini skirts while others prefer long dresses or coulots. If there's one thing I've learned from a number of years in the horse/leisure business its that the customer is always right. So, we provide a choice. 

I see the sun's coming out. I had better be off on the turner.

I don't want to tempt fate by bragging about harvest progress and there's a lot more still to do. Further, the forecast for Thursday is wet again. However, I remain astounded by how much can be done in a short time by todays combines.

We are now about half way through our wheat acreage and waiting for the rest to come fit. I just hope next week is as favourable as the last few days.

Yields have been a bit variable - consistent with the conditions in the fields were drilled last autumn. Medium soils that went in dryish at the right time have done well - 10t+/ha. Heavier fields that were drilled when it was too wet have been disappointing. But they were always going to be after last years experience.

At least moistures have been reasonable - some down in the 15% range with maximum levels into the barn at no more than 18% - and drying costs will be contained. Which is just as well with oil prices rising again.

So, a reasonably satisfactory progress report. But it ain't over yet.

About an hour ago we finished combining our last field of winter wheat. August 24th is the earliest we have ever finished and under different circumstances that would have been the end of harvest. But this year we have an acreage of spring rape (drilled after much of the winter rape failed) and it is still a few days short of being fit to cut.

However, gathering the wheat has been the easiest for years. A lot of it came into the barn at under 14% and more than half has not nor will it need to be dried. Thanks goodness for that! At least its kept costs down for a crop that, if sold at current prices, would probably lose us £25 to £30/t. Will values rise as the marketing year progresses? Who knows? But we have stored alomost all of it in hope.

Last evening, in anticipation of the end of the wheat combining today and by way of a modest celebration, we had a joint of Dexter beef for supper - all in the interests of market research.

A young couple who are friends of ours wants to start a small herd of Dexter's (small in numbers as well as in size) and we have agreed to help by providing some of the grazing. The idea is to finish them and them and then market them as cut meat. The purpose of the supper was to assess the USP's of the breed.

They are small - consistent with the lighter meals we need to eat to lose weight. They live on grass - which means their welfare is as high as it can be and it makes them particularly "green". And the meat is delicious - as I can confirm from last evening meal. I reckon the young couple are onto a winner. I wished them luck and will help them all I can.