We are still flat out sowing winter wheat after harvest eventually finished on 4th October, about three weeks later than normal.
Thank goodness we didn't have to start lifting potatoes after, although the weather has been relatively kind and our neighbours round and about seem to have had some really good lifting conditions. Certainly the fields we rented out harvested well.
I see that Scotland is set for the best harvest in 20 years in terms of yields, according to government figures. The first estimates for this year’s cereal and oilseed rape harvest suggest Scots farms are set to produce 3.25million tonnes of cereals this year – up 24,000 tonnes on 2014. This is not surprising as we have found yields to be up on all the crops on our farms.
Winter crops that have, and still are, being sown are going in in decent conditions and establishing nicely, although days are short now and if there is any dampness, it hangs around making rolling a problem sometimes.
Other jobs at this time of the year include application of some autumn herbicide on the winter cereals and plenty of slug pellets being put on due to the warm damp conditions we are experiencing at the moment.
We are also delighted that we have been able to sell a bit more of our potato machinery. The Grimme Variton Self-propelled harvester went off to its new home in Fife at the weekend, and so far we have sold about 2500 of our boxes. Still plenty available for anyone out there who wants them!
Cutting our last field of Harvest 2015. The field which had been flooded 18 months earlier. The new river bank can be seen in the background.