Drought

DrWazzock · May 26, 2018

Nowt here today. A bit frustrating that all these expensive inputs on the arable crops can be brought to nothing by the weather. We take all the risk for not much share of the reward.

The more land I grass down, the more immune I seem to become to weather variations at least not gambling a big input spend on getting the right weather to see a return.

DrWazzock · May 26, 2018

One good thing about the beet is it spreads the risk a bit. It can make up yield if we get rain later, whereas the cereals can't.

It all seems be about spreading risk.

bobk · May 26, 2018

Drying well now

Pilatus · May 26, 2018

Chae1 said:
Is bella bureau a big farming company farmer Roy? Looked at there Facebook page and seem like a good bunch if people who take care of there staff and take a interest in the.

Google “Bulla Burra”,for farming and Aimee’s videos.

Google “Bella Bureau” for ladies fashion!!!.

bobk · May 26, 2018

MX7 said:
Google “Bulla Burra”,for farming.
Google “Bella Bureau” for ladies fashion!!!.

DRC · May 26, 2018

DrWazzock said:
Nowt here today. A bit frustrating that all these expensive inputs on the arable crops can be brought to nothing by the weather. We take all the risk for not much share of the reward.

The more land I grass down, the more immune I seem to become to weather variations at least not gambling a big input spend on getting the right weather to see a return.

How to make money from grass.? That’s the million dollar question

4course · May 26, 2018

DrWazzock said:
Nowt here today. A bit frustrating that all these expensive inputs on the arable crops can be brought to nothing by the weather. We take all the risk for not much share of the reward.

The more land I grass down, the more immune I seem to become to weather variations at least not gambling a big input spend on getting the right weather to see a return.

ffs dont tell everyone

jondear · May 26, 2018

Jerry said:
Think you are in the same dry corridor as us at present. Taunton way has had a drink as has Torbay.

Things seem to be skirting us.

Think Cornwall has had a bit as well.

Thought we were going to get some earlier but hardly damped the dust.

Jerry · May 26, 2018

jondear said:
Thought we were going to get some earlier but hardly damped the dust.

Very noisy here at moment and finally got something that’s done more than dampen the dust.

Looks like another wave of rain coming over the channel at the moment so will check gauges in the morning. Fingers crossed

Pilatus · May 26, 2018

silverfox said:
How to make money from grass.? That’s the million dollar question

That’s been the eternal question with grass leys as part of an arable rotation,ever since I can remember and beyond.
Ok every ha ideally needs to make a profit, but I think making a profit on every ha is not quite so important if every ha has no borrowings levered against it, compared to paying rent, mortgage etc.
I appreciate the aforementioned is bad business but none the less ,I think I have point but may be shot down for saying so.
Trying to replicate Hosiers system of utilising leys with cows milked in milking bails might be bit difficult to put in to practice in the 21st century!!??

Farmer Roy · May 26, 2018

Yale said:
Looks like you’re on your own on this thread now it has rained here @Farmer Roy .......

I think I was always pretty well on my own in this thread

Takes more than a bit of rain to make a difference

Old saying here - it takes a flood to end a drought, which is pretty true in my experience

Pilatus · May 26, 2018

Farmer Roy said:
I think I was always pretty well on my own in this thread

Takes more than a bit of rain to make a difference

Old saying here - it takes a flood to end a drought, which is pretty true in my experience

I am sure very few Pomes (originates from “Prisoner Of Mother England!”) would cope with a “Real” drought. Many TFF members will not have been born yet alone remember the UK drought of 1976,in the Cotswolds all grass fields looked as though they had been sprayed off with paraquat !!!!
I think that is the nearest we will come to appreciate the real meaning of a drought ,and one I hope no uk TFF members ever experience,so they better not try farming in your area of Aus.

Clive · May 26, 2018

MX7 said:
I am sure very few Pomes (originates from “Prisoner Of Mother England!) would cope with a “Real” drought. Many TFF members will not have been born yet alone remember the UK drought of 1976,in the Cotswolds all grass fields looked as though they had been sprayed off with paraquat !!!!
I think that is the nearest we will come to appreciate the real meaning of a drought ,and one I hope no uk TFF members ever experience,so they better not try farmin in your area of Aus.

I think another '76 would decimate UK ag ? how many farms could survive a year without output ? it must have been tough in the 70's but ag was in better shape back then ? less leveraged and more profitable in the good years I guess ??

glasshouse · May 26, 2018

MX7 said:
I am sure very few Pomes (originates from “Prisoner Of Mother England!”) would cope with a “Real” drought. Many TFF members will not have been born yet alone remember the UK drought of 1976,in the Cotswolds all grass fields looked as though they had been sprayed off with paraquat !!!!
I think that is the nearest we will come to appreciate the real meaning of a drought ,and one I hope no uk TFF members ever experience,so they better not try farming in your area of Aus.

Ahem, there was no drought in scotland, just a hot summer, so it wasnt a "UK drought"
Fortunes were made up here that yr and the next.

Chae1 · May 26, 2018

Clive said:
I think another '76 would decimate UK ag ? how many farms could survive a year without output ? it must have been tough in the 70's but ag was in better shape back then ? less leveraged and more profitable in the good years I guess ??

Wouldn't be a bad thing. UK ag could do with a good clearout.

glasshouse · May 26, 2018

We were selling spud seed at £1,000/ ton in 76/77

Pilatus · May 26, 2018

glasshouse said:
Ahem, there was no drought in scotland, just a hot summer, so it wasnt a "UK drought"
Fortunes were made up here that yr and the next.

My apologies for the generalisation?

Pilatus · May 26, 2018

Clive said:
I think another '76 would decimate UK ag ? how many farms could survive a year without output ? it must have been tough in the 70's but ag was in better shape back then ? less leveraged and more profitable in the good years I guess ??

Back in the 70’s Dad wrote a cheque out for new tractor or combine and we were tenant farmers with no other income besides farming.
The above says it all, what has gone wrong ???
We only started borrowing money when we bought a house for my late father and mother to retire to , and I do not mean that in a begrudgedul way .

glasshouse · May 26, 2018

MX7 said:
Back in the 70’s Dad wrote a cheque out for new tractor or combine and we were tenant farmers with no other income besides farming.
The above says it all, what has gone wrong ???
We only started borrowing money when we bought a house for my late father and mother to retire to .

P reg for potato was the prefix in 76, there werre combines, tractors, cars, everything was P.
Finance for machinery only started about 85 when thatcher was bleeding us dry.

DrWazzock · May 26, 2018

silverfox said:
How to make money from grass.? That’s the million dollar question

Sheep and cattle and barley and forage. Yes there are ups and downs and a fair amount of manual work but hay and straw store and keep you going through a lean year. Silage has taken a lot of the risk out of the grass harvest and with clover I don't apply any nitrogen at all to the grass.

On this sort of grade three land, we go from swamp to drought in a month and it really does make me question the wisdom of laying out tens of thousands of pounds of inputs on the arable crops in the almost certain knowledge that the weather will let us down somewhere along the line. it doesn't really matter how you cultivate it or how much you spend on it, if it gets too dry it just doesn't yield, and that seems to happen more years than not. This combined with damage to soil structure, battling tough weeds like blackgrass and cranesbill makes it almost a no brainer to jack in all of the arable here except barley for feed and bedding. Maybe keep the beet as well as the tops can be grazed and part loads makes good feed.

Wheat is a hell of a risk here due to moisture deficit from now till harvest. It tends to die on its feet rather than fill.

Drought

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