The cereal harvest for us finally finished on 18th September, everything in the barn, straw baled and carted before the really wet downfall came that very same week. We weren’t the only ones, several of our neighbours finished that same day. Having started combing on 18th July and finishing on 18thSeptember it was a prolonged harvesting period, cultivations were kept up behind the combine and other jobs but until you can put the combine away it’s still on the ‘to do’ list. When the date of the Harvest Supper was suggested – 14th September would be ideal as harvest would all be finished, also fitting in with Burghley – this was wishful thinking!
Oil seed rape was sown in August Sowing winter cereals, winter oats, (quaker oats), some varieties of winter wheats are destined for making Weetabix and so on. Quality this year has varied from field to field, the same with quantity – some good yields and some very poor.
The winter oats were soon through the ground and are green all over, the winter barley shouldn’t be too long before it comes through the ground, followed by the winter wheat, the later the sowing date, the longer it takes to come through – it’s all weather dependent i.e temperatures. Then of course we will be sowing some winter beans. When we start lifting the sugar beet that land will normally be sown with winter wheat. I think we as farmers as well as the general public are hoping to see some respite in this incessant, unpredictable weather – St Luke’s Little Summer it used to be called which will be a big help and a pick me up for winter.
The cattle have had to be brought in from the grass fields and into their winter housing in the yards with plenty of straw to lay on, we managed to keep them out until mid-October so have two weeks before the end of October which is our normal time to bring them in, so two weeks of extra winter feed and bedding to allow for as well as labour for extra feeding.
Farming like most businesses is being given new guidance of what part we can play to save the environment, plant trees, fit solar panels or even put large areas down to solar farms, all a bit controversial not only for some farmers but the general public too, again for various reasons. The new government of 100 days in power are talking about bringing in a new law to override objections from landowners, farmers, and the general public, whatever our reasons are for opposing it, in other words, we don’t have a say – – their word is final. In some cases it is right for our government to intervene but our pleasant and beautiful countryside is being exploited by the governments new initiatives which will probably be redundant within a decade of installation, the digital age which I call it is fast moving as we already know with our mobile phones for example. These solar farms are for a minimum of 40 years lease with lots of small print written in, who clears the mess up when the time comes? Big areas are needed for storing power, road ways etc. It may be a good idea for today, but well out dated for tomorrow.
On the brighter side and before we think too much about Christmas I want to thank everyone who helped to make the Harvest Supper the resounding success it was, both financially for Thorpe Hall Hospice and very enjoyable for everyone who bought tickets which super seeded the expectation, also the sponsors who contributed most generously, and those people who worked so hard on the day and before to make the day what it was, and of course the weather was the icing on the cake. I purposefully haven’t mentioned the firms or the individuals who made the day possible as I didn’t want to miss anyone out, but they know who I mean. I have had no negative feedback – only very positive with “when’s the next one?” which incidentally is 13th September 2025. You do have to book a good 12 months in advance as we did with this year’s event. Again, my sincere thanks to all, the amount raised was just over £3,700, which is amazing for our first year.
With only 8 weeks to Christmas our thoughts and plans have to be what do I need? Christmas dinner, meats etc, veggies, fruits which we will have for you now and of course at pick up days. At the movement we have everything covered, but it’s so different these days and for this reason we are asking customers to book early to avoid disappointment, by the time The Tribune reaches you it will be November, our allocation of turkeys, cockerels, geese and ducks will be available during October and as far into November as we can – by the middle of November we hope customers will have ordered what they need, and we expect all orders to have been completed by the end of that month. Please ask for updates when you come into the shop including information re pick up days. Talking of Christmas, we are bringing a seasonal tradition back and have asked Father Christmas to come and visit. With his busy workload he has managed to fit us in for the last three weekends in November and the first full weekend of December. He will be here between 10am – 2pm to collect Christmas lists and to give out little pre-Christmas gifts to children. Keep an eye on Facebook and in the shop for updates.
Time to be getting those plants into the greenhouse if you haven’t done so already. I notice autumn coming early this year with the leaves changing on the trees in the woods and in the garden, always the sign to make you aware – winter is fast approaching, with the clocks having changed at the end of October, those dark nights are upon us with the shortest day looming, but we still have a few different flowers and shrubs giving their very best to brighten up the dark, dreary days of winter.
