Farming from March to September Only

DrWazzock

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
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.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
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.
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
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.

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robs1

Member
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

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
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

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Berkshire
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

Member
Location
stafford
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

Member
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.
 
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

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
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.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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