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 Farm News 3rd September 2010 |
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Following what can only be described as one of the hottest and driest Springs on record with less than an inch of rain between Easter and July, the 2010 harvest campaign at Stern Farms got off to a flying start. Oilseed rape was completed on the 29th July with an acceptable yield of just over one and a half tonnes to the acre. After the rape the farm moved on to harvesting wheat the following day and things continued at a pace with the crop coming in dry and good progress being made. In fact we managed to harvest just over 200 tonnes in one 12 hour stint, which by today’s standards is hardly record breaking, but for ourselves it was a personal best and it looked as though the wheat harvest would be completed before “the glorious twelfth.” Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to throw a huge spanner in the works of harvest and readdress |
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| the general lack of moisture that we had been experiencing with a complete turnaround in the weather. Long hot sunny days soon became a thing of the past as harvest turned wet. The combine harvester stood idle for seven days and soon we were in the situation where combining started at tea time and continued into the night. The final push came on Tuesday 23rd August when, after suffering showers of various amounts during the day, the grain moisture finally reached a sensible level and we started combining at seven o’clock in the evening. |
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Nine hours later the wheat harvest was completed for another year - although it was now just after four o’clock in the morning. With the beans harvested over the Bank Holiday period, all that remains to do is the linseed which, because of the dry conditions at sowing and late germination, is still a couple of weeks away from being ripe. By the time school returns the oilseed rape will have been sown and the wheat sowing will commence. Only another six to eight weeks depending on the weather and then I can take a holiday! |
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Paul Sigley, Farm Manager |
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