Farmer Focus: Our maize is off to a good start under film

The maize and barley are drilled. We had it all finished by 4 April – a full two weeks before we had even started in 2024.

Early drilling of maize has proved crucial for us, as it means we can allow the crop to fully ripen, avoiding the wet, acidic silage we used to produce when growing it without film.

An early September harvest has meant much better ground conditions during chopping and allowed good first wheats to follow.

See also: Maize Watch: Marked difference under film near Dumfries

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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Let’s hope this pleasing start to the season weather-wise continues – it does as much good for your mindset as it does for the crops.

We have been busy vaccinating the youngstock this week ready for turnout.

The question of whether to include a bluetongue vaccine has been discussed and, for now, we have decided to wait.

We have split the in-calf heifers into two batches, running the bull and the newly pregnancy-tested heifers away at Seawood Farm.

They will get minimal handling until they are housed again before they calve in the autumn.

The group of summer-calving heifers will graze at home, where the milking cows used to graze.

We are (if anything) a little short of cattle to graze the amount of unmowable land we have, but a heavy reduction in fertiliser has worked well to keep grass growth in check, and this can be easily ramped up again as numbers increase.

The ice cream side of the business has had a great start to the year, with the tremendous weather leading up to Easter.

My mum and dad run this side, and have really had to hit the ground running this year – with good weather for the first three weeks solid, it didn’t allow much time to get into the swing of things before they were very busy indeed.

Our decision to give up the Maize Maze was met with quite a lot of disappointment locally.

It has coincided with a few other family attractions closing nearby, in what seems to be a very difficult time for the service sector.

But personally, I feel a weight has been lifted – to an extent – allowing me to focus on what we do here on the farm.