The lack of rain has given us a welcome boost on the farm with the last of the flower bulbs going in. It has also given me a chance to get back into heavier areas of ground for digging.

When digging winter root veg, you have to keep some aces in the hole for when the weather gets very wet, basically some very dry areas of ground. With the wet weather over the last month, we had been burning through these areas at a rate of knots. When you harvest an area when conditions are poor, it’s very hard to go back there the next day, especially if it rains in between so you move to another area of the field.

With the rain holding off for a while, we can now move back into these areas and open up fresh digging which makes it much easier when you come back to it the next day.

Weather data

The importance of accurate weather data and forecasting for us can’t be overstated. So much relies on the timing of our harvest and the chain of events for packing afterwards. We grow fresh produce and with that comes huge time pressure to get the veg out of the ground and onto a shop shelf in the same day. This is rarely an issue, but there are occasions when a conveyor breaks or we have a machine issue which knocks us back badly and leaves a lot of labour units standing around the yard waiting for a load to arrive in; not a desirable situation.

Machines

Over the years, we have, where possible, put in machines instead of labour. A machine doesn’t mind if you’re late with a load or if it has to work through lunch.

When we bought our destoner/washer from Tong back in 2008, it took 12 labour units/hr out of the equation and took all the pressure out of the system of having people on the clock standing around.

Unfortunately with the parsnips, there is no getting away from labour for topping and tailing, even with a mechanical top and tailer you still need somebody to put the parsnips in the machine.

Heifers

Elsewhere, our grass B&B heifers have left their summer digs with us and returned home for calving. We have put some paddocks aside for the kick-off next season and have a further 50 acres of reseed for them, it won’t be long before they are back.