I’m beginning to think I don’t have my marketing strategy right this year.

I still have one-third of my wheat to sell. I’m guilty of being greedy and I don’t seem to learn.

Although current prices are well above the cost of production, they certainly aren’t as exciting as last year. I remember being lectured that cost of production plus 25% should always be a sell point. Wise words, Mr Saxby.

See also: UK growers urged to take part in alternative weed control survey

About the author

Keith Challen

Arable Farmer Focus writer

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

Read more articles by Keith Challen

The Christmas season is always busy in the Challen household, with both of the kids’ birthdays falling in this time.

We surprised James with a trip to St Andrews for his 21^st to play his beloved golf on the hallowed turf.

Although batting a ball round perfectly manicured grass isn’t my cup of tea, I could appreciate what an incredible place it is.

I helped caddy for the last nine holes and on the 17^th a covey of French partridges flew from the rough across the green, which gave me a great idea for a new sport…

We finished the year just below our average rainfall, but half of this arrived in November and December, which left us wetter than an average January.

We now welcome a dry, windy period as we head towards the spring before we contemplate land work.

The winter months seem to be flying by and we have nowhere near completed our winter jobs.

Hedge laying is almost complete for the season. We tackled one of the biggest hedges on the farm, which was more than 7m tall. It’s been quite a task.

Barely any time has been spent in the workshop yet. Both subsoilers and the mole plough have been through and had a refurbishment, including a respray.

This may sound a luxury, but keeping machinery well presented helps with residual values, and the team like things to look right.

Next on the list is our muck trailer. It’s having an upgrade from super singles to floatation tyres, new brakes and bearings throughout and a respray again.