You don’t need me to remind you that it’s been hot! There have been lots of comparisons between the summer of 2022 and 1976. Unfortunately, I’m old enough to remember the harvest of 76, in fact I spent it on a combine harvester with no cab peering through the dust trying to get 6” (that’s the unit we used back then) high spring barley to feed into the cutter-bar! Whilst we have had record temperatures this year the crops have been better than they were in 76. In fact, given we’ve only had around an inch a month rainfall over the growing period March-June the yields we’ve had can be regarded as good. I’ve all but finished here with just some still green spring barley and spring beans on damp fen land and some dismal linseed to be cut.

Harvest highlights for me have been to operate my own combine once again, this new to me purchase has meant for the first time for 6 years I’ve seen the fruits of my labour first hand going in the front and not via a yield map, which just isn’t the same.

Second has been the success of another bi-crop trial, this time winter Mascani oats and Tundra beans, which yielded spectacularly well with no inputs used other than seed. I expect the pride of this accomplishment will be dampened a little when it comes time to separate the two seed types with my accident dresser!

Thirdly, I grew some heritage wheats on the farm which have looked spectacular with minimum management. I must get these analysed for quality once the work pressure in the labs is off. My family visited last week, and the boys heaped make ‘heritage’ sheaves, look out for one in CAPC reception below!

I’ve had the pleasure of bringing some of my crop into store by tractor and trailer this year. This has really only been small tonnages and clear-up loads but it’s given me chance to see two of our stores in harvest action. I have to say it’s been a good experience from the greeting on the weighbridge, slick document transfer by litter picker stick through the cab window and clear instruction from the team around the pits as to where to go. No rush, no panic, just everyone calmly getting on with their jobs, well done everyone. It should also be acknowledged that it’s a busy and important time for the office teams with incoming harvest calls from members and (very close to my heart) the annual pool paperwork and payment to get out!

And finally, thoughts of cropping for next year. As you may know I like to plant cover crops to feed and restructure the soil before the next autumn or spring ‘cash’ crops are seeded. With the ground extremely hard and dry (in East Anglia at least) and a dry forecast for the foreseeable future there is little chance of anything growing so it’s questionable if investment in seed is worthwhile. This does not bode well for the next OSR crop as the first week of August has become the idea sowing time to combat pest problems that hamper the crop development. It must rain sometime but is sowing seed into Luna conditions worth the gamble? Watch this space…..

Keep cool, keep safe, and carry on the great work.

David White