Farmer Jake's Blog

August 2009 - Posts

• Fresh Country Air

  Last weekend the contractors arrived to spread about 400t of mushroom compost. We would usually hire the spreaders ourselves and do the operation a little later in the summer but the adjacent fields were destined for Oilseed Rape and so a quick turn around... Posted Aug 26 2009, 09:16 AM by Farmer Jake Select Tags... SaveCancel [Edit Tags]

• Nowhere to hide

  This shot was taken earlier this week of the combine cutting wheat, although I can't work out which field it was it. Andrew John, my predecessor at Overbury stills flies and is a great asset as the 'eye in the sky' taking photos and checking... Posted Aug 26 2009, 09:06 AM by Farmer Jake [Edit Tags]

• Harvest Update

  We've had a fairly good spell of weather for the past 10 days and been able to make good progress, we even managed to harvest some of the spring barley without having dry it. The Solstice wheat is all but in the barn, 14ha's left, at 500ft, that... Posted Aug 20 2009, 09:56 AM by Farmer Jake Filed under: Carling, Malting Barley [Edit Tags]

• Start of Wheat Harvest

  The wheat harvest finally started on the 8th August in very dry and dusty conditions, needless to say that didn't last long. After a great weekend cutting over 220 acres of rape and wheat the damp weather has returned frustrating everyone. Here the... Posted Aug 11 2009, 09:03 AM by Farmer Jake Filed under: autotrac, John Deere [Edit Tags]

• Red Clover Sucess

  A peacock butterfly enjoying some nectar in the sunshine on a red clover flower head. the new ley was planted in April and is a red clover and perennial rye grass mix aimed at growing a high protein source of feed for the sheep. A first cut of silage... Posted Aug 07 2009, 12:05 PM by Farmer Jake Filed under: red clover, butterfly [Edit Tags]

• Hill Top-Topdown-Top Job

  Between the showers, (incidentally it's been the second wettest July for 58 years at Overbury) we have managed to get our new cultivator and tractor into action. Derek is using the machine after winter barley, straw baled and removed, getting a growth... Posted Aug 04 2009, 02:55 PM by Farmer Jake Filed under: Vaderstadt Topdown, cultivation [Edit Tags]

• Grain Drying

  Well, this is a very historic moment. I am updating my block from the grain store office on my blackberry device. I haven't got a photo to show you yet, watch this space. I am drying the winter barley, second time around, on a very wet depressing... Posted Aug 01 2009, 02:56 PM by Farmer Jake [Edit Tags]