Getting concerned

So who's getting concerned, with 70 mm in the rain gauge since Sunday and a lot more to come over the week I certainly am.
If your on free draining soil then probably not but I reside on sticky red marl which can take an age to dry out.
Most of the ground is moved and was in good condition behind the trio, some has been cultipressed and set up well for the drill,,,,,,,,, I thought, , trio came of last night as there is no way that will be used again this season and plough was hitched up so it can be put ready for a couple of weeks time when we might be able to plough the bean ground.
On the plus side I have only got 25 % of seed corn bought, and seed dressers are due this week to dress another 25%,
I might leave it at that, I still have visions of 2013 and having to use all the crap 2012 seed that never went in the ground.
Another plus is that I have a field of rape that has decided to emerge,,,,,,, surely the CSFB pressure has gone now

And at least I will be able to travel east this weekend to see the girlfriend, probably do a bit of over the hedge farming to see how the fat cats who farm around Stamford and Rutland are getting on in the land of milk and honey ?
 
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teslacoils

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
I have most of my land worked now. The chunk for barley was pressed and rolled a month ago. The chunk for wheat just pressed. I'm almost sure it will dry enough for drilling in October, but the rolled stuff will go first as firm ground suits the drill better.

I'm undecided about firming up my winter bean enquiry though. Heaviest ground, so proper heavy, and have spring barley seed in a trailer......
 

Zippy768

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Dorset/Wilts
I have most of my land worked now. The chunk for barley was pressed and rolled a month ago. The chunk for wheat just pressed. I'm almost sure it will dry enough for drilling in October, but the rolled stuff will go first as firm ground suits the drill better.

I'm undecided about firming up my winter bean enquiry though. Heaviest ground, so proper heavy, and have spring barley seed in a trailer......
Why would you not switch to Spring Beans if things are getting too wet for Winter?
 

farmerm

Member
Location
Shropshire
You guys that hang off for blackgrass are bound to get caught out one year.

I'm always amazed reading how late you leave it when conditions are right. We don't have blackgrass here though.
I don't have blackgrass but I was holding off until this week because of a) the loss of deter, b) the loss of deter and c) the loss of deter. Also still waiting on second wheat seed to be cleaned and drilling in early September is all well and good but temperatures have been well above normal here. Too early to get concerned, mid October could prove to be the optimum drilling date and be dry.. failing that the year we had to Spring drill everything produced one of our best ever gross margins!
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
I have most of my land worked now. The chunk for barley was pressed and rolled a month ago. The chunk for wheat just pressed. I'm almost sure it will dry enough for drilling in October, but the rolled stuff will go first as firm ground suits the drill better.

I'm undecided about firming up my winter bean enquiry though. Heaviest ground, so proper heavy, and have spring barley seed in a trailer......

Is the winter bean ground worked? If not, hire a contractor with a strip till drill to sow the winter beans later in October.
 
You guys that hang off for blackgrass are bound to get caught out one year.

I'm always amazed reading how late you leave it when conditions are right. We don't have blackgrass here though.
I was hoping to start drilling barley today and get onto wheat beginning of next week,, certainly I couldn't hang of for another couple of weeks, would sooner give up farming than go through the trauma of looking at seed corn hanging around for 12 months
 

Brisel

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Midlands
You guys that hang off for blackgrass are bound to get caught out one year.

I'm always amazed reading how late you leave it when conditions are right. We don't have blackgrass here though.

We've been lucky to have had good weather in October in recent years. One of these days October will be a washout and a lot of heavier blackgrass land in England won't get drilled.
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
It is getting a bit worrying. We had another huge dump of rain last night.
After struggling to get the seed, I did get my Barley in, rolled and sprayed (after the first of the rain started) at the weekend.

I went to have a look at a field that will grow my Extase seed for next year at 8 this morning having had at least another 10mm last night. I reckon I might drill it this afternoon. It was ploughed in mid August and will combi drill quite well.
It was so dry that it will take quite a lot of rain before it gets too wet.
I would have preferred to run round the headlands with a power harrow first, but will double combi drill over the headland furrow to level it, where I need to drill a 2 metre wide strip twice to get the headland tramline in the right place.

The worry will be getting the pre em on.
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
I don't have blackgrass but I was holding off until this week because of a) the loss of deter, b) the loss of deter and c) the loss of deter. Also still waiting on second wheat seed to be cleaned and drilling in early September is all well and good but temperatures have been well above normal here. Too early to get concerned, mid October could prove to be the optimum drilling date and be dry.. failing that the year we had to Spring drill everything produced one of our best ever gross margins!
Just drilled our winter barley straight off heap. Seed dresser i booked never turned up.

Be interesting to see what it does! Never finished last field because of heavy rain. Been a lot of rain since.
 

fudge

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire.
It's a quote from Dad's Army used in the context of something reasonably trivial. That's how I read the post, anyway. It's still September.
The 20mm we have had is of huge benefit. “If” it rains continuously for 30 days and 30 nights undrilled wheat will be the least of the problems on a marsh.
 

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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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