Archive Article: 2000/09/15
Stephen Bumstead
Stephen Bumstead farms
148ha (365 acre) from Ouse
Bank Farm, Great Barford,
Beds. He is a first
generation farmer and
council tenant, growing
combinable crops on three
blocks of land. He supports
LEAF and is the FWAG
county treasurer
THIS harvest reminds me of a dance I learned a while ago – slow, slow, quick, quick, slow! The old boys keep telling me: "Its still early yet". They then reminisce about when they were still combining in October and end by saying: "There will always be a harvest."
We are currently on Abbot wheat at Stotfold. It has looked well throughout the season and seems to be running at about 8t/ha (3.2t/acre) – maybe more.
But one field behind a road of council houses suffered bad "public" damage and returned only about 6.3t/ha (2.5t/acre).
Thankfully there is no swear box in my combine cab! If people want access to the countryside and wish to have the benefits of enhanced property values from gardens overlooking farmland, they should not abuse that privilege.
Tetradur durum cut in the last week of August gave an estimated 5-5.75t/ha (2-2.3t/acre). I will relay the quality when it has been delivered.
We still have 11.5ha (28 acres) of Charger standing at Roxton. It has bad patches of blackgrass and is rather rough in places due to water-logging in the spring.
The other week I lost my nerve and bought a mobile drier after years of getting away without one. A beeline was made to specialist Morgan Farm Machinery, Northants, for a used Master 10 tonne diesel-fired machine. I chose it for the self-contained compact design, suitable for running the 15 miles between the two farms.
My move must surely guarantee an Indian summer and a run of hot, dry harvests for the next five years!
The barley stubbles have greened up well, showing odd patches of couch. These fields will get a dose of glyphosate before we plough.
Most of my land seems to hoard a tremendous weed seed bank. In a wet spring this presents some very challenging problems and decision-making on product choice and timings. *
The slow, slow, quick, quick, slow harvest forced Stephen Bumstead to invest in a mobile grain drier after years of living without one. Indian summer conditions are now sure to follow, he reasons.