The crows that were attacking my newly drilled wheat last month have now finally moved elsewhere. They are spoilt for choice now on where to dine as ground conditions are improving and many fields are being ploughed and drilled.

Our drill has been busy with some lovely spring days helping to dry out land which had been pretty sticky only a short while ago.

All our land is ploughed before the drill and, while it may not be the cheapest way of establishing crops, it has proven over the years to be the best. With our black soils, we find that weed control and even establishment of crops outweighs the costs.

Watching the instant fuel consumption readout in our ploughing tractor and realising how much you can save by altering gear selection and throttle settings is interesting, if slightly worrying. With diesel prices at current levels it concentrates the mind on squeezing every ounce of efficiency from every drop.

Potatoes are selling well with good demand and a decent price. We have lots more left than usual at this time, so loading potatoes will have to be done alongside our field work.

Embarrassing moment of the week was when I was rudely awakened the other morning by my wife who was shouting to tell me that the sheep from the paddock were in her garden. I leapt out of bed and ran downstairs, threw on some shoes and chased the sheep back into the field. As I trundled back to the house, I was met by shrieks of laughter from my wife and kids as they pointed at me dressed only in my underpants and a pair of her shoes. I suppose I should be grateful they didn’t have time to find the camera.