What a difference a few weeks make. Since our last article we have managed to finish harvest. Albeit with a demonstrator combine, after our combine decided it had had enough of the wet conditions and constant starting and stopping, and the engine blew the sump off. This, of course, resulted in everything coming to an abrupt stop. Our local New Holland dealership is now in the process of fitting a new engine – we should have that done before next harvest.

We had straw lying in fields for several weeks before we finally managed to get in and get it all baled. We were starting to wonder that if we couldn’t get it baled, then we would have to take the cows to the straw, rather than the straw to the cows.

Earlier on in the summer, we had all thought that harvest was going to be early and we were looking forward to cracking on and getting all the harvest jobs finished off before October. This certainly seemed like it would be possible back in July.

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However, the first week of October arrived and Jac was off to the Highlands to run the Glencoe Marathon. After a summer of running in weather that really wasn’t too bad, the weather forecast for marathon weekend was a shocker – three storms seemed to be converging on the northwest of Scotland on that day. The marathon was completed, but it had been a real struggle – 26.2 miles of pouring rain, gale force winds, bogs and mountains.

Then just four days later we were heading for London to the Farmers Weekly Awards. Harvest was still not finished, but it would still be there when we got home, so we went off to London looking forward to a great night out to celebrate the best of British farming.

All the winter cereals we had planned have been sown and we have even managed to get a winter herbicide on them all before the weather had turned against us. The sprayer is now tucked up for the winter.

All of our efforts now turn to vaccinating and worming spring-born calves, as well as weaning. The drier spell of weather has meant that we have managed to keep them outside for longer than we had thought we would be able to.

The new handling pens are now completed and were used for the first time last week. They worked well and all the cattle and staff seem pleased with the outcome. It has been worth the time and money to create a bespoke system that works well for our needs.

Last week, AgriScot was held at Ingliston and it was a fantastic show, with a huge turnout of visitors from all over the country.

Robert is currently vice-chair of the event and will take over from the retiring chair, Andrew Moir, in January 2018. Andrew has been chair of the show for the past eight years and will be a hard act to follow.