Feldspar
Member
- Location
- Essex, Cambs and Suffolk
Hi
I use fallow /stubbles as my EFA 5% and third crop too
Mostly choose small field at the extremities of the farm/off farm etc
Mostly Because of the cost saving of attempting to drill/work/combine/access 3 acre fields ,down a narrow lane under a railway bridge for example and the cost of lugging machinery and grain 8 miles back to the yard
When we digest the NEW shiney rules I'm considering 50% first wheat/50% fallow/stubbles. So long as figures add up Purely as my labour will have retired ( maybe) and I don't want to employ again and the son (should/could/ought to) have off farm income ( driving/gritting/welding etc) as a buffer/insurance against crap farming income
So cutting the workload in half and making the environment better/messier/healthier for some public money seems like a good Plan at this point in time
Would you plant some sort of fertility building cover crop in the fallow year? Just thinking that our heavy land might be quite sad if just left alone. Cheap cover crop planted when machinery not doing anything else (if that occurs) might be an option.