Farming News – July 2022

Over the Jubilee weekend I finished shearing the sheep. I have reverted to hand shearing because the sheep sit quieter without the noise and vibration of machine shears. We have managed to get about half of the hay making done because the weather has been on our side. How different from the weather of 40 years ago when hay time was often interrupted by rain. Now we also have the option to wrap the bales in plastic to make silage if rain is forecast.

We should be harvesting winter barley by the end of July, provided that the combine harvester still works, when it comes out of the shed. I haven’t had time to service and check it over but this will be essential before it goes into the first field. It is surprising how a combine harvester, which was reversed into the shed last September, in good working order can come to grief over the winter. Rodents spend the winter inside it as there can be a few stray grains of wheat for them to eat and many electric cables for them to chew upon to entertain themselves during the long winter.