Pretty good really, kind winter and lambing so big crop of lambs sold well right through. Cows looking more profitable, just had a 100% pd and haven’t had one of them for a long time. Weather pretty good for our own silage and most of the customers. Biggest grass seed year we have had yet, all in all ignoring the rest of the sh*te going on, another the same would be welcome
How has farming been for you in 2020 ?
- Thread starter Henarar
- Start date
wanton dwarf
Member
Happy new year Henarar !
Farming has been a little under average mainly down to poor establishment over the past 2 years. Partly down to the loss of neonicitinoids - we've sprayed off Oilseed crops this year. Partly down to poor weather and our need for "Cultural Control" thanks to poor Chemistry HMG & the EU have given us.
Other than that it's been okay.
- Location
- roe valley
Laser cutting and glamping
- Location
- Herefordshire
Spring sucking lambs all gone(bar 4) by 2nd week of June and good prices. Tick
Store lambs left a reasonable margin.Half a tick
OSR averaged 1.84 tons / acre Tick
Wheat that was planted yielded well Tick
Spring Oats began yielding well but storm whatsit knocked nearly .75 tons/ acre on the floor Half a tick.
Wheat straw below average,Spring Oat straw poor.No ticks
Silaged excellent quality.Tick
Sheep scanned well this autumn.Tick
BPS came bang on time.Tick.
Became a Grandad again Tick
Baby was 5 weeks early and jaundiced. No tick ,but should be fine.Tick.
Highest rainfall ever recorded since about 1982.No tick.
As a result a little 2020 seed rotted in the ground.No tick.
Bloody Covid.No tick.
What a strange year if you think about it.
Hope everyone has a prosperous 2021.
Store lambs left a reasonable margin.Half a tick
OSR averaged 1.84 tons / acre Tick
Wheat that was planted yielded well Tick
Spring Oats began yielding well but storm whatsit knocked nearly .75 tons/ acre on the floor Half a tick.
Wheat straw below average,Spring Oat straw poor.No ticks
Silaged excellent quality.Tick
Sheep scanned well this autumn.Tick
BPS came bang on time.Tick.
Became a Grandad again Tick
Baby was 5 weeks early and jaundiced. No tick ,but should be fine.Tick.
Highest rainfall ever recorded since about 1982.No tick.
As a result a little 2020 seed rotted in the ground.No tick.
Bloody Covid.No tick.
What a strange year if you think about it.
Hope everyone has a prosperous 2021.
farmerm
Member
- Location
- Shropshire
Mine will say the same... but then much of it comes from the crops I planted in Autumn 2018 not those planted in spring 2021 which what little there was has yet to be sold!Accountant says I made a profit!
Hell if next year's better I may even be able to pay myself a wage
GeorgeK
Member
- Location
- Leicestershire
1/3 of our acreage is let for silage - always looks good, no worries there.
1/3 is in nectar pollen stewardship - got paid, only had to run the topper over it, all good.
Remaining 1/3 fallowed last year - happy with that decision.
Really didn't do much work last year but financially it has been fine. This year crops have established well but no more heavy rain thanks!
1/3 is in nectar pollen stewardship - got paid, only had to run the topper over it, all good.
Remaining 1/3 fallowed last year - happy with that decision.
Really didn't do much work last year but financially it has been fine. This year crops have established well but no more heavy rain thanks!
- Location
- Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
2020 has reminded me of something I have seen several times in the past, but have failed to learn.
Being, that whenever we seem to get a really high yielding harvest, the next year’s one is always bad. Sometimes shockingly bad, yielding not much more that half that of the previous year.
Ok, the prices this season have helped a lot and alleviated a lot of the problem.
Also that we made huge savings on inputs that it was obvious could not make any sort of sensible return on their investment.
One crop variety being Extase, really shone for us. No plans for a T0 or a T3 on it this year either!
I’ve also altered my Winter feeding regime fo the Deer enterprise, which seems to be working well. They live outdoors all year round and allegedly suffer from something called Winter Inappetence. This is a bad name, because it suggests they have no appetite. We’ve always known that they do have an appetite and that they will eat their heads off. But have previously thought that they won’t continue to put weight on due to lack of daylight. So far this seems to not be the case. Feeding them more concentrates, also seems to encourage them to eat more forage and I am certain they continue to grow.
I just hope I have enough Haylage for the season!
Being, that whenever we seem to get a really high yielding harvest, the next year’s one is always bad. Sometimes shockingly bad, yielding not much more that half that of the previous year.
Ok, the prices this season have helped a lot and alleviated a lot of the problem.
Also that we made huge savings on inputs that it was obvious could not make any sort of sensible return on their investment.
One crop variety being Extase, really shone for us. No plans for a T0 or a T3 on it this year either!
I’ve also altered my Winter feeding regime fo the Deer enterprise, which seems to be working well. They live outdoors all year round and allegedly suffer from something called Winter Inappetence. This is a bad name, because it suggests they have no appetite. We’ve always known that they do have an appetite and that they will eat their heads off. But have previously thought that they won’t continue to put weight on due to lack of daylight. So far this seems to not be the case. Feeding them more concentrates, also seems to encourage them to eat more forage and I am certain they continue to grow.
I just hope I have enough Haylage for the season!
- Location
- Hertfordshire
I took on my first long term FBT in 2020, having either managed land for others or kept my own stock on land let on very short term licences, so a big year from that point of view. Also bought my first tractor instead of borrowing / renting one as needed (though it is 50 years old this year!)
The land is very droughty so this spring didn’t suit it. Got it all fenced though so the thousands of walkers were (largely) contained on the footpath rather than roaming wherever they liked).
Lost a bull which was disappointing. It got stuck in a dyke on some land I get for free on a short term licence....!
Didn’t sell anything as I’m building up numbers so missed the good prices in 2020, but I plan to retail everything so no real loss.
2 groups of cattle still outside now, mob-grazing the last of the grass so really low costs which is really pleasing. Two other groups inside but on cheap hay so a little bit more costly but not too bad.
Overall I’m pleased with 2020
The land is very droughty so this spring didn’t suit it. Got it all fenced though so the thousands of walkers were (largely) contained on the footpath rather than roaming wherever they liked).
Lost a bull which was disappointing. It got stuck in a dyke on some land I get for free on a short term licence....!
Didn’t sell anything as I’m building up numbers so missed the good prices in 2020, but I plan to retail everything so no real loss.
2 groups of cattle still outside now, mob-grazing the last of the grass so really low costs which is really pleasing. Two other groups inside but on cheap hay so a little bit more costly but not too bad.
Overall I’m pleased with 2020
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