When Mrs Challen announced she had booked a holiday for the halfterm week, the “how late do I drill” dilemma got a definitive line in the sand.

So with only hours left before take-off we got the last field drilled, rolled and Avadexed in near-perfect conditions.

There was just enough time to grab my Speedos, fake Ray Bans and a suitably big enough handkerchief to accommodate knotted corners.

Our destination was to be one of a group of islands off the west coast of Africa.

See also: Read more from our arable Farmer Focus writers

This was to be a vacation of culture and relaxation, so imagine my surprise when Jesús, our friendly Spanish coach driver, pointed out the home of the best local cuisine, Paddy’s Bar and Grill, featuring 24-hour Sky Sports and all-day breakfasts.

Welcome to Tenerife! Luckily Mrs C had booked us into a very nice hotel a mile up the road with a more native feel.

Some 40mm of welcome rain fell while I was away – just what we needed to set off the last of the wheat drilling and the slugs.

All of a sudden they come from nowhere with a vengeance, but we were ready. Baiting traps soon highlighted hotspots and well-timed, targeted applications has them on the run… famous last words.

I’m not usually an impulsive man, but when it was brought to my attention that a neighbour was selling his old 8m Simba Freeflow drill, I knew we had to take a look.

Only hours later we were the proud owners of a third Freeflow. Does that qualify me as a collector or a fool?

November is show time. Agritechnica for a few days with the boys – in-depth machinery evaluation as far as Mrs C is concerned – and then on to Croptech and the Midlands Machinery Show in quick succession.

Then throw in a day with AS Communications and Trimble training, followed by ag-chem distributor open days and November has gone.

There hardly seems time to grow a moustache. Happy Movember all.

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.