- Location
- Lincolnshire
Sorry. Hard to judge tone and nuance in social media.
Farming from March to September Only
- Thread starter DrWazzock
- Start date
- Location
- Fife
Find out if/when they get the combinables off 
- Location
- Darlington
I hate to say it but I think it makes a lot of sense.
It's either that, expand, or add an intensive enterprise, pigs or poultry?
My son and I still farm winter cereals, no stock, and supplement our income by going out, labour only, doing whatever we can find.
It seems to work and is, I believe, better than stagnating on the farm in quiet times.
texas pete
Member
- Location
- East Mids
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Not necessarily. I am trying to develop a way forward that allows us to farm profitably with less physical effort and man hours required.
I think by rationalisation we can reduce hours spent by 75%, reduce risk and reduce peak demand for cash. This will be achieved by getting rid of the sheep and winter crops. Turnover will be reduced a lot, profit will be reduced a bit, possibly, but we will save time and reduce risk while keeping the farm tidy and as going concern.
I’m looking forward to it. Winter crops have become very expensive to grow anyway and quite damaging agronomically in terms of increased chemical usage and soil structure damage.
texas pete
Member
- Location
- East Mids
I wouldn't be to quick to ditch the sheep(assuming you can make them stack up) they can be pretty undemanding on both time and resources, with the right breeding/system.
- Location
- Fife
Not suggesting it is the case here, but the mindset change required to achieve that is beyond some people.
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
Not at all, it's purely a personal viewpoint and I admire those like yourself with the drive and dedication who will not only continue to succeed but also achieve a deep sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in doing so. I often wish I had the same sense of purpose but as a proud cynic and pessimist I derive my pleasure mostly from whinging
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Had to check for a minute to make sure you weren't me having made a second account!
texas pete
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Beyond quite a few, reading some of the comments and prices quoted for replacement breeding sheep.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I’m pretty much settled to the idea. Nothing but spring drilled combinable crops. Barley, wheat and beans.
Do any primary cultivation’s or subsoiling when it’s dry in September. Let the winter create the tilth and decompose the straw and flush the problem weeds. Spray off in spring and then straight on with the drill in the spring. Combining 200 acres should easily be feasible if that’s all we have to do.
No big upfront autumn herbicide spend, no slug pellets, no autumn insecticide sprays when it won’t travel. No struggling with straw residue or concrete seedbeds in the autumn. I have had a trial run of it already this year and it’s been OK.
Bring it on.
Do any primary cultivation’s or subsoiling when it’s dry in September. Let the winter create the tilth and decompose the straw and flush the problem weeds. Spray off in spring and then straight on with the drill in the spring. Combining 200 acres should easily be feasible if that’s all we have to do.
No big upfront autumn herbicide spend, no slug pellets, no autumn insecticide sprays when it won’t travel. No struggling with straw residue or concrete seedbeds in the autumn. I have had a trial run of it already this year and it’s been OK.
Bring it on.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I’m better off with 2.5 t per acre spring barley after just over 100 days in the ground than a ton of oilseed rape after 10 months of spend and aggravation, tempting as it is to put in 25 acres now.
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
100% spring cropping is a risky strategy imo.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
it’s all risky now.
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
Which is why spreading that risk is important.
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
I planted some winter wheat last winter - some got sprayed, some didn't. The sprayed field is the cleanest. Some of the unsprayed had barley in as well as blackgrass so was ploughed in and spring barley planted. As my agronomist put it, I'd just grown a cover crop!
Could be another way to look at it - plant a winter cereal as a cover crop, and if it's any good come the spring then continue, if not then plough it in and start again. You can grow a "standard" cover crop but come the spring you've only got the spring crop option.
Just another way to look at things....
Steevo
Member
- Location
- Gloucestershire
My agronomist and I have been discussing this all season. Was late planted wheat better or spring cropped barley.
£40/t difference between wheat and barley makes wheat look good
Got wheat planted in late autumn so that looked good
Some got hammered by slugs, but did survive well
Drought hit after barley was planted....but somehow the slugs came out to play too. At this point I was questioning whether I should have kept the fields as wheat rather than ploughing for spring barley.
Barley then grew away fairly well and looked good.
By June the drought hit again as the wheat was filling and because it had poor roots, some lighter patches started to die off and hit yield. By this point the barley was looking a sensible option.
Harvest time now - winter wheat was cut over 3 weeks ago, nice and easy, no drying needed and all in the barn with good quality.
Spring barley wasn't ready to follow straight on so we waited.....and sadly it's still out in the fields now and is starting to brackle. When it is harvested and sold, it will still be worth £40/t less than wheat.
Which was the best option....I'm not sure. But the variety has given me less headaches than having all in one boat, and I know I made the best decision I could at the time.
I also have two fields of fallow and two fields let for maize - I have to admit I'm glad of this. I won't get rich from them by any means....but I will guarantee a profit.
SilliamWhale
Member
I must admit as a small sized farm I've been getting pretty jaded recently. I can grow the crops reasonably well but finding the harvest weather is just getting worse and worse each year. Establishing crops doesn't take long but harvesting is getting worse and worse. Also prices are very static and there is no access to environmental grants in Wales at the moment.
Shovelling all profits into paying off a divorce taking any joy out of things as well. Sometimes wonder better off renting out for spuds/ caulis/ maize etc for a bit. Will shag the land but so what?
Shovelling all profits into paying off a divorce taking any joy out of things as well. Sometimes wonder better off renting out for spuds/ caulis/ maize etc for a bit. Will shag the land but so what?
Think it’s a good idea. Can you easily meet your fixed costs, insurance, rates, electric etc etc without dipping into your earnings from elsewhere and going forward without bps.