Farmer Focus: Grass has slowed but maize thrives in the heat

My wife, Anna, has just completed the opening weekend of our Maize Maze, which this year is in the shape of a monkey, along with plenty of jungle-themed features.

Personally, I have very little to do with the maze once it’s opened, but a lot to do with setting it up.

Adding this pressure to the already busy summer workload takes its toll on everyone, so I’m glad to see it up and running, and I appreciate everyone’s support.

See also: 6 top maize growing tips to help livestock producers

About the author

Tom Stable

Tom Stable and family, Ulverston, Cumbria, milk 350 Holsteins three times a day, producing milk for Arla and ice cream for their Cumbrian Cow brand. The 300ha operation, of which two thirds is rented, grows grass, maize and winter wheat and cows average 11,800 litres.

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Grass growth has slowed significantly with the hot dry weather, and the cows are catching up on their grazing fast.

Third cut will be completed this week which will give them more range, bringing in an extra 6ha (15 acres).

The high milk prices and abundance of forage from good early cuts of silage means I may turn the lows in at night from the middle of August, rather than trying to stretch the grazing out to the end of September.

The maize, however, is loving the heat. All the maize that was planted under film has tassled now and varies in height between 2.1m and 2.7m.

It’s been a good season for it so far, although in our area it’s been a good season for everything.

Combines locally have already cleared up all the winter barley and it looks like our own cereals will be off early.

This helps massively when it comes to establishing grass seed afterwards and possibly sheep feed.

We planted rape into the stubble last year, which worked well, but with the cost of diesel and fertiliser, I will have to do some sums before we go ahead again this year.

The unusually early harvest will also help to spread the work window ready to chop the maize in the first week of September.

We will to follow about 80% of that area with winter wheat.

Anna and I have done much less showing since starting a family, but it’s something we still enjoy.

We try to support our local Ulverston and North Lonsdale Show, as well as the Westmorland County Show.

Halter training has begun for Ulverston, but far too late really, so we may provide more entertainment on show day later this month than we’d like, getting dragged about.

We have calved some great heifers lately and have selected daughters of Capital, Sidekick and Outfitter for the show ring.