August is the time of the year things start to wind down on this farm. The autumn calvers are dried off to begin their two months of recuperation – first-calvers and thin cows getting 70 days.

The first is due 29 September and I’ve kept anything calving before 15 October at home to clean up a few strong paddocks. The rest have been sent to take over the calf paddocks on the Dunworley land six miles away, with the calves moving to after-grass. The autumn-calving heifers have been moved to after-grass also to give a boost of energy before settling into work for the winter.

Having less rounds to milk has obviously reduced the time spent in the milking parlour. It’s not just the time – it has a psychological effect too. Seeing the yard clearing quicker makes it seem so much easier.

I usually wind down myself to join in the local festival. Due to farm and IFA commitments, I’m not as involved as I used to be during the preparations, but I try to help out as much as possible during the event. It is the main fundraiser we run to fund local community projects. By the August bank holiday it was all over for another year. Suddenly the pressure was off and the adrenaline ran out.

I hadn’t realised how tired I was. It wasn’t a physical tiredness, but more mentally tired.

Just like the cows, I needed to take time out. Looking at screens and reading was giving me headaches and making my eyes hurt, so I went offline and switched from TV to radio. I took frequent naps and early nights. As it turned out, the pre-planned family holiday in the second week of August was perfectly timed.

Dry cows will settle better if they cannot see the milkers. Likewise, I needed to not see the farm so as to settle my head. Just like the heifers, my GP prescribed an energy boost to prepare myself for a busy winter.

Preparations for housing and calving are picking up pace now. I’m actually looking forward to it again. I just need to tackle the 2.3-metre high stack of paperwork that has built up. Maybe if I split it into two smaller stacks it won’t look so bad.