Farmer Focus: Maize crop is motoring after a slow start
James and Belinda Kimber © Kathy Horniblow Our June was extremely busy. The old adage that things will be easier next week never seems to happen.
At the beginning of the month, I was worried about the very slow growth of the maize crop – something I had not experienced in five years of growing it.
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After sending the agronomist a few videos, it turns out it was actually pretty good.
After rain, tropical heat and a bit more rain it has caught up and was 2.4m tall on 1 July. My postings on Facebook brought the usual “Get off your knees” comments.
The crop should fill the pits now, so the second cut is less of a concern.
On our no-chemical-fertiliser path, the clover takes over for second cut, so we are considering wrapping some bales to mix in the total mixed ration for growing heifers or triplet-bearing ewes.
I am always keen to keep experimenting, and perhaps one day I might get it right.
The new management farm is all about experimenting this year. We have cut some early silage bales for growing youngstock and lovely hay made in the heat for dry cows and in-calf heifers.
The GS2 hay will be surplus and hopefully give a good income stream; certainly better than buying 100 young cattle, which was the original plan.
And we are currently looking into the value of harvesting wildflower meadows for seed.
The young cattle there have been weighed during TB testing, showing excellent growth rates for Shorthorns on rotational grazing.Â
Lambs at home have gone a bit stale, with one group confirmed with barber’s pole worm, but they have all been treated and will hopefully go forward now.
Shearing took ages (well, it felt like it), but we had some great help one day when two French students came to see crazy British people working hard in 34C heat. I had to moderate my adjectives as Tractor Ted was filming as well.
Just when I thought it was all done, I remembered the Black Hebrideans needed doing.
A friend has a large flock and every year I say it’s the last time. But I have an inability to say no.
I am sure they spend the year sharpening their horns just for this day.
To prove why she was apprentice student of the year at Hartbury, Isla came along, and at the end of the day she said never again!