Farming from March to September Only

[DrWazzock]

We are thinking of giving this a try. Nothing but spring combinable crops. Alright we won’t make a fortune but might have less of a bad time all round and we can work off farm for a 6 months clear run. Change is as good as a rest and all that. At the moment the year just seems to drag on from one pain in the ass problem to another.
Sheep going, beet going. Shut the shop on 30th September, reopen 1st March. Maybe down to two spring crops, barley and something else. Could be a way forward for our small patch and break the cycle.

 

[Still Farming]

Sounds EASY?
ALL you need is the weather !

 

[teslacoils]

My daddy is doing similar. Cover crop, spring barley, September drilled wheat, stewardship.

 

[ewald]

Why not carry on with the beet but use contractors to lift? I used to toil away with a single row machine half the winter - now it is a couple of days (which could be done at a weekend if you are working in the week)
Best thing I ever did!

 

[Flat 10]

We are thinking of giving this a try. Nothing but spring combinable crops. Alright we won’t make a fortune but might have less of a bad time all round and we can work off farm for a 6 months clear run. Change is as good as a rest and all that. At the moment the year just seems to drag on from one pain in the ass problem to another.
Sheep going, beet going. Shut the shop on 30th September, reopen 1st March. Maybe down to two spring crops, barley and something else. Could be a way forward for our small patch and break the cycle.

You keep going on about this. Crack on give it a go keep us updated and if after 3 years it’s working ok I will join you. Here winter is the busiest time of year with ploughing before and after beet hedge cutting etc.

 

[Still Farming]

You be classed as a "Hobby" Farmer by HMRC and get a real stuffing then!

 

[Lincsman]

fallow... just top it.

 

[Boysground]

There is a chap up the road who has done mostly S Barley for a number of years. I had some for maize to get him round the rules for a while. Not sure how he’s doing it a the mo. He does his beef all year round.

Bg

 

[7610 super q]

This is what I do. I have enough trouble keeping crops alive over the summer, never mind the winter.
PFKIS. Proper farmers keep it simple. Winter is spent maintaining a medieval manor house, holiday cottage, WW2 era sheds, and 1970/ 80's machinery.
No skiing trips and all that boll0cks for me.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Could be a bit limited in rotation though.

you can still grow winter crops, many of my clients would be unable to spray their wheat for much of the October-March period anyway.

 

[robs1]

Chap near us used to work on the farm all summer and run a ski chalet the family owned all winter he did have a brother though who worked on the farm in winter though.
I prefer the winter work in some ways as its less weather dependant, hedging and hauling hay out to horsey folk, cold evenings by a log fire .

 

[DrWazzock]

It’s unusual to be able to plough much here between October and March anyway. And spraying can risk getting stuck or making a mess. We keep the beet on lighter fields but last winter it was an absolute nightmare. I just feel worn out by the whole experience.

 

[T Hectares]

We are thinking of giving this a try. Nothing but spring combinable crops. Alright we won’t make a fortune but might have less of a bad time all round and we can work off farm for a 6 months clear run. Change is as good as a rest and all that. At the moment the year just seems to drag on from one pain in the ass problem to another.
Sheep going, beet going. Shut the shop on 30th September, reopen 1st March. Maybe down to two spring crops, barley and something else. Could be a way forward for our small patch and break the cycle.

Sounds like a good plan, cover crop in behind the combine and continuous SB and SW
Off farm work to give a fresh perspective, could work well.

 

[bobk]

We are thinking of giving this a try. Nothing but spring combinable crops. Alright we won’t make a fortune but might have less of a bad time all round and we can work off farm for a 6 months clear run. Change is as good as a rest and all that. At the moment the year just seems to drag on from one pain in the ass problem to another.
Sheep going, beet going. Shut the shop on 30th September, reopen 1st March. Maybe down to two spring crops, barley and something else. Could be a way forward for our small patch and break the cycle.

Been doing that for the last 5 years , march - september is becoming a pita

 

[DRC]

What work will you both do during the winter.?
Maybe better if one farms and the other gets a full time , all year round job.

 

[bankrupt]

the last 5 years , march - september is becoming a pita

Last 55 here, and 2020 just tops the lot.

Up to 1964, when the Wislon government first cut UK guaranteed grain prices below £600/ton, it was all good fun.

 

[teslacoils]

If there was a local dairy to you that would buy it for crimping at 30 percent, no drying or storage.....

 

[DRC]

I’d be worried about missing a lovely October, which is the optimum time for the best paying crop of winter wheat here.
farming is about conditions more than dates. If we were all spring barley, we wouldn’t have combined anything yet.

 

[warksfarmer]

We are thinking of giving this a try. Nothing but spring combinable crops. Alright we won’t make a fortune but might have less of a bad time all round and we can work off farm for a 6 months clear run. Change is as good as a rest and all that. At the moment the year just seems to drag on from one pain in the ass problem to another.
Sheep going, beet going. Shut the shop on 30th September, reopen 1st March. Maybe down to two spring crops, barley and something else. Could be a way forward for our small patch and break the cycle.

In 2018 we went to a 50:50 winter/spring cropping. 2019 it was 12% winter 88% spring and for 2020 it was the same 12:88 and going into 2021 it’ll be 12:88. 2022 the plan at the minute is 30:70. It certainly makes winter far easier but there’s the hassle of a dry spring so I think it’s only achievable via no till and cover crops to preserve moisture.
We’ll all be only cropping 50% of the land anyway when ELMS kicks in.

 

[DrWazzock]

Despite best efforts with under drainage we tend to lie fairly wet here over winter, we have some extremely heavy soils and some extremely light soils.
On 200 acres we need to be able to work off farm to supplement our incomes. For that we really need a 6 month uninterrupted run.
I think it’s more about tailoring cropping plans to farm type and personal circumstances now than anything else for us personally.
So if we can be finished by end of September, including all primary cultivation’s or covers in ready for drilling next spring then we are in a better place than having to drag on through the winter with bits of spraying, chasing pigeons, lifting and loading beet and nursing and lambing sheep.
We will see.
Psychologically we both find that doing something other than farming for while is of great benefit. You come back keen to get on. But stuck in either job permanently gets you down after a while. You need variety and a change of scenery.