We had to make a decision whether to sow the big field with the beans or leave it in the hope that ground conditions would improve.

We knew a few drying days would make all the difference but, in the end, we looked at the dry top of the ground and decided to aerate further down, with the discs set to go deep. It brought up dampish clods which dried out over a 24-hour period and on Thursday 16 March we began sowing. In fact, the conditions were surprisingly good. We sowed at a full 16 stone/acre and achieved a good depth. We finished off just before the rain on St Patrick’s Day and were rolling as the rain started.

I hope we can get to finish the rolling but so much rain fell over the weekend that it will take a while to get back to where we were. Meanwhile, we continued to spread the 10.10.20 on all the winter barley and by Tuesday of this week, you could see the yellow hungry look beginning to disappear. We also got the first dressing out on the oilseed rape, which is very definitely beginning to bloom and give the field a yellow glow. I am writing with a certain degree of trepidation as I wait to see if the forecast severe frost does any damage to the emerging blossoms but there is nothing I can do about what is a very early year for oilseed rape.

We still have no cattle out full-time but we are continuing to let a few groups of bulls out by day unless it is very wet. Land can dry very quickly at this time of the year as the days lengthen. The recovery on the resown paddocks that were grazed a month ago is excellent, so good that we will do some more re-seeding of the old permanent pasture over the next six weeks or so.

Meanwhile, I have examined my Single Farm Payment maps closely. I received them last week and could not find one mistake or inaccuracy – a remarkable feat of mapping detail.