Wet summer reaps rewards for Adrian Harrison

I am currently admiring my sun tan having had such a wonderful summer here in the Dales. Yes, I am being ironic – this year we got tables and chairs for alfresco dining and I think we have used them twice since Easter.

Never mind, we have managed to get in our third cut and the benefit of the lack of summer here has resulted in a magnificent growing season, which I understand I need to be very grateful for indeed. We have taken advantage of the season to try our hand at over-seeding some of our old grass leys. We drilled it directly into the sod at 10kg/acre. I will keep you posted on its success.

This year, my Dad held the honorary position of president of the Wensleydale Agricultural Society. The show, which was held in Leyburn, went tremendously well with the gate numbers being up on the previous year. There was a fantastic turnout of stock, which was great to see, and hopefully those who patronised it found it to be worthwhile.

We have just received our first invoice for big baled straw and I nearly fell off my chair as it is has doubled in the past three years. I am now poised and listening hard to hear of the latest price increases that surely must be on their way. As a competitive person, I would hope that after the next reviews we are not bottom of the European milk price listings – and being in last place is not good.

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