We often talk about what the dream harvest would look like in Scotland, and this year we may well have encountered it.  

It felt like we experienced a “Southerner’s harvest” as we finished combining in August.

We didn’t need to dry as much of the crops, and we even wished for some rain.  

See also: How Birds Eye hopes to grow peas for another 60 years

About the author

Annabel Hamilton

Annabel Hamilton farms 1,030ha of arable in the Scottish Borders with her parents. The arable area grows 65% winter and 35% spring crops. She is Basis and Facts qualified and runs a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. The farm finishes more than 300 Limousin cattle a year.  Follow Annabel on Twitter @annabelhami11

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Will we experience another harvest where we finish combining in Scotland by the 15 August? Only time will tell.

Standout crops have been oilseed rape and winter wheat; looking at their yields they were not affected by the dry spring.

I suppose the good, the bad and the ugly could describe crop performances.

The bad would be our winter oats, the ugly our malting spring barley in which roughly 60% has made malting quality due to high nitrogen.

Issues such as this raise questions on the profitability of malting spring barley, something for us to think about going forward.

We have been fortunate enough this autumn to take on some new ground which helps to spread our costs, and a new farm to get stuck into.

Being within five miles from base it fits in nicely with other land parcels.

We have been busy sowing cover crops and grass on this particular block for winter grazing, bringing the principles of a mixed farm back into play.

Lime applications before OSR and winter barley have been full-on with just over 1,000t of lime being spread, along with gypsum applications.

We have started tackling some of our ground which has high levels of magnesium.

Something which me, Dad and our landlords are all in agreement is looking after our number one asset – soil.

Our organic matter applications have nearly doubled in the past couple of years, with the increased application of hen manure and compost.

As I mention muck, it brings me to our hen shed planning application, which was submitted back in February.

We are yet to hear of a decision, which is starting to become quite exasperating. Please be assured that I will let you know when one is made, be it good or bad.