Still remember 2022. Not a blade of grass in sight for 3 months or more on the South Coast.
Wet the new normal
- Thread starter Grassman
- Start date
Goweresque
Member
- Location
- North Wilts
Incidentally, why do we have to do the 'OMG its never going to stop raining/rain again [delete as appropriate]' debate every time it either rains for a bit or doesn't rain for a bit? Its the UK. The one thing you can be sure of is that the weather will be totally unpredictable. It can be hotter at Christmas than in June. It can be drier in January than July. It can snow in just about any month bar July and August (and probably those too in Scotland), and it can rain for months on end and it can be dry for months on end, all at any time of year. If it rains for ages it will eventually stop, and if its dry for ages it will rain again. Nothing lasts forever, it always reverts to the mean. You'd have thought a profession that works on timescales of years or even decades would get this.
Whats also frustrating, is that here in essex i think this winter we had a bout 3-4 days when it was frosty enough to muck spread/travel on the ground with out making a mess? The old adage that goes, what makes a "good" farmer is true, a week? in other words, when the weather is right, you have to get on work, if that means sundays, after hours, bankhoildays what ever? its not about the biggest newest machinery its getting on when its right? We have all done it, left something, like leaving the last few bales out to "tomorrow", then it rains for 2 weeks and you wished you had carried on for a few more hours?
- Location
- South Devon
Same for us, we planted winter wheat must have been 6th Feb and it had 3 weeks of rain on it. Neighbour said they recorded 7" for Feb and thats ridiculous enough before realising the first week was dry
Grassman
Member
- Location
- Derbyshire
It certainly is not showing any improvement. Some farmers will be getting desperate now.
We did hear of a potato grower recently has called it a day and packed in due to the continuous wet conditions.
We did hear of a potato grower recently has called it a day and packed in due to the continuous wet conditions.
Its sh!t to eyes here in Devon with no end in sight rain forecast for another week ahead., milder than average temperatures are the only help.
kiwi pom
Member
- Location
- canterbury NZ
That’s the issue isn’t it, it’s getting warmer so in the UK that means more wet weather in winter.
Wouldn’t be at all surprised if you got a very dry summer.
- Location
- South Wales UK
Drought be next then when you want to cut hay won't stop raining untill September seems the trend the last 10 years
kiwi pom
Member
- Location
- canterbury NZ
- Location
- northumberland
25mm here yesterday onto already sodden ground, but 44mm 20mile west on our other farm 
currently bouncing off the windows again, lambing in full swing, calving 3/4 done shed still full of fertiliser, enough silage till end off the month but straw is going fast
currently bouncing off the windows again, lambing in full swing, calving 3/4 done shed still full of fertiliser, enough silage till end off the month but straw is going fast
- Location
- Owaka, New Zealand
Same story down here, businesses are being more designed for good weather conditions, high yields: high dependency on good prices and things working out
They call it "being efficient" when it could be said "we are getting less effective"
We set ourselves up to be victims, and that's what we get to be
Yes wetter drier warmer , that's here now and coming as has been predicted as climate change u fortunately for the next generations to come.
Unfortunately it could be , the sfi schemes for those with eligible ground will be a good way of ofsetting risk and worry for a few years.
Problem will be then critical mass of processors etc .
It's going to be difficult times to adapt to but where thers a strong will there's a way.
Hilly
Member
- Location
- Scottish Borders.
Their is no new norm the weather is different every day week month year , ive seen this before and no doubt will seen it again its frustrating but cant be changed. .
Sorry Pete, I don’t get your post at all.
“Being efficient”, aiming for high/optimum output and ‘being resilient’ are not mutually exclusive, you can balance all 3.
And farmers are not “victims” of anything weather related: if it’s too wet, dry, windy it’s ’the weather’, it happens, accept that there’s nothing you can do to change what comes from the sky. But you can influence what happens from then on by forward planning through scenarios B, C, D; cleaning ditches, marking blowing drains, thinking “what could I have done differently?” and then making appropriate changes to future proof the business. Adapt and survive.
But then again maybe us Scottish farmers are just a bit further along the road with the ‘inclement weather’ experience.
“Victims” pffft, what doesn’t kill you…
serf
Member
- Location
- warwickshire
You mean to say if the gov green tax us just a little bit more
it won't change the weather 
Damming a ditch would be more like forward thinking for that future dry spell , put a hydro generator in it as well.
Definitely not let all that surplus water rundown to the sea the whinge about shortage.
Note to self.
Definitely not let all that surplus water rundown to the sea the whinge about shortage.
Note to self.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Don't think I have ever in my lifetime seen such a wet miserable winter drag on into spring that started in the Autumn, just saying
And it seems to be the same right the way across the Country
When you see a farmer on top of the Sussex downs struggling to put barley in in April that he normsly sows in February
He was still at it when I left Tuesday
And it seems to be the same right the way across the Country
When you see a farmer on top of the Sussex downs struggling to put barley in in April that he normsly sows in February
He was still at it when I left Tuesday