Mike Rowland
James Hosking
James Hosking farms 516ha
(1275 acres) with his
parents and brother at
Fentongollan, Tresillian,
Truro, Cornwall. Land is
equally split between share
farming, various FBTs and a
tenancy. Crops include
wheat, oats, barley and
daffodils, alongside sheep
and cattle enterprises
ONE of our earliest starts to harvest was made in glorious weather on July 18.
Fanfare winter barley came off at 16% moisture with a bushel weight of 69kg/hl, but a fairly disappointing yield at 6t/ha (2.4t/acre). Straw was cleared promptly, which was a relief because the barley is grown as an entry for forage rape. That is used for fattening lambs in the spring and we like to drill as early as possible to get the crop off to a good start.
The rest of July was frustrating. Hot sunny days with nothing ripe enough to cut. Predictably as soon as we decided that the winter oats were ready, down came the rain. We now find ourselves in mid-August with long days slipping away and most of the oats and all the wheat to cut. I am getting a little anxious, especially as I have just found some Haven and Reaper wheat that is starting to sprout. The oat variety is Jalna and it looks very promising. First indications are that it is yielding about 7.2t/ha (2.9t/acre).
After all the hype and waiting, we have finally seen the total eclipse. At Fentongollan we were fortunate to be in the band of longest totality and along with many other farmers prepared a field as a campsite to cater for the large numbers of visitors expected. But as the day drew near it became clear that all the adverse publicity had successfully dissuaded people from making the trip. We were spared the blocked roads and shops running out of food, but our campsites were rather sparsely populated.
The farm closed down for the day and we, along with friends who had come down to stay went up to the best vantage point and joined our campers to experience the amazing event. All agreed it was worth every mile they had travelled. Cornwall was prepared to receive hundreds of thousands more people, and we can only feel sorry that so many missed this once in a lifetime opportunity. *
Kevin Littleboy
Kevin Littleboy farms 243ha
(600 acres) as Howe
Estates at Howe, Thirsk,
North Yorks. The medium
sandy loam in the Vale of
York supports potatoes,
winter wheat, rape and
barley, plus grass for sheep
WELL you just cant get the bosses nowadays. Our gleaming new Lexion 450 combine entered the winter barley field, admired by farm staff, the local dealer and a local farmer with baler at hand. Naturally the boss was at the wheel.
On the second headland run there was an almighty bang, crunch, and metal tearing noise. The result being that I had managed to destroy the internal workings of a combine in a shorter time than the poor mechanic had spent inspecting and checking it before delivery.
The story of the police finding a body in a suitcase at Heathrow will be eclipsed when I find the person who kindly disposed of a metal handled hammer over the hedge. I would never have believed a £3.50 hammer could cause so much damage costing thousands of £ to repair. With the professional and sterling work by NFU Mutual engineer Neil McLay and Claas Sewards mechanic Jonathan Mason, the combine was back in the field 28 hours later. Now the offending hammer is in for DNA testing of what is left of it to try to shed some light, and, hopefully, a lightning bolt, on the culprit.
Regina winter barley yielded fantastically at 10.3t/ha (4.2t/acre) and 15% moisture, thanks to rain at grain filling time and an application of a strobilurin fungicide pre-winter. Commanche Oilseed Rape yielded 4.2t/ha (1.7t/acre) and Pronto 4.6t/ha (1.9t/acre) at 6.2% moisture.
A Yorks farmer, who diversified into environmentally green burials, is also a newly elected MEP and travelled to Strasbourg for his first meeting recently. On entering the parliament building he was overheard saying: "This would make a great grain store." I suppose we should be grateful he is thinking of his first line of business. But, on reflection, perhaps not.
Sewards have a special offer at the moment: A free hammer with every new Lexion combine, please speak to Mr Moosehead. I have been sent on a combine course with special attention to metal detection. *
Teddy Maufe
Teddy Maufe farms 407ha
(1000 acres) as the tenant of Branthill Farm, part of
the Holkham Estate,
Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk.
Sugar beet lies at the heart
of the rotation, with other
crops including winter
barley, wheat and oats,
spring barley and triticale
THE good news is that Halcyon winter barley has averaged 6t/ha (2.5t/acre), and Regina about 7.5t/ha (3t/acre). The latter was on better land which we find is needed to pull out the extra yield required over and above Halcyon.
The bad news is that nitrogen levels are only 1.3-1.4%. Those growers who set out for the feed market with Regina have even bigger yields and about 1.7% nitrogen. By chance they have landed an unexpected extra malting premium. So, for the third harvest in a row, I find myself trading with malting barley premiums barely covering the cost of production.
Optic spring barley is averaging 6.6t/ha (2.7t/acre). Even with extra nitrogen fertiliser applied this season grain nitrogen levels are only 1.25-1.3%. That was ideal five years ago but is chicken feed in 1999 on the brewers latest minimum 1.5% N contracts. I cant help thinking this low nitrogen year has played into the brewing malt buyers hands, depressing premiums even further.
I realise supply and demand will always dictate crop premiums to some degree, but I feel long suffering professional growers are being taken advantage of. Hence I am considering setting up a Confederation of Malting Barley Growers to try to put some stability back into the crop. The total malt expense on a £2 pint of beer is under 1p, so a sensible premium for the malt should not be beyond most brewers pockets. Maybe we can build a better working relationship with the brewers soon.
Last week we had over 60mm (2.4in) of rain – welcome for the sugar beet but worrying for the 20ha (50 acres) of Optic still to cut. An Alto (cyproconazole) – sulphur mix to control mildew and rust is going on the beet.
The British Sugar versus NFU impasse is highly regrettable. With the whole sugar regime coming under the European spotlight, we should be showing a united front. However, growers should not be bulldozed into an unfair agreement by the power of a monopoly producer. *
Mike Rowland
Mike Rowlands 141ha
(350 acre) Bowden Farm,
Burbage, Wilts, is in organic
conversion with 32ha (80
acres) going fully organic in
Oct 99. Potatoes, carrots,
wheat and peas will rotate
with grass for suckler cows.
At Amesbury 404ha (1000
acres) is in conventional
seed production
TIME to bang the drum on GMOs again. The Americans might think they are OK at present, but I dont and our public have undeniably said no. We dont want another BSE or DDT scare. We wish to invest in healthy living, not the health of Monsantos investment. The Americans sanctions threat is like a gun being held to our heads. We must listen to our consumer, the public, and resist these threats.
It is pleasing to see so many new entrants coming into the organic sector. The Soil Association has been running hard to keep pace with the volume of work generated in part from the Organic Farming Scheme. It is disappointing that our minister, Nick Brown, who came to our organic winter conference and could see the considerable new interest, has not invested right at the heart of the scheme. Recent late applications are getting no support at all.
This last week we have had 70mm-100mm (3in-4ins) of torrential rain. Surely Michael Fish should declare it a record. Sadly our corn has started to drop out and shoot. So we have decided to put the dryer into top gear and combine at high moistures. Fortunately yields look good at over 7.4t/ha (3t/acre) on winter barley and 9.9t/ha (4t/acre) winter wheat. Winter rape was disappointing at 3.2t/ha (1.3t/acre), largely due to hybrid variety Pronto performing poorly.
Sugar beet, potatoes and carrots look much better for the rain. The organic potatoes look extremely well and have been under extreme pressure from blight, as we have had four consecutive days of "Smith Periods". Up to now we have been able, at these high risk periods, to use a Bordeau mixture of copper and lime. However, this is to be withdrawn, yet it is the same mixture that is sprayed on the grapes of the wine we drink. Without doubt we will have serious blight problems in future and our conventional neighbours will be most unhappy. Some producers may have to give up growing potatoes altogether. *