So far we haven’t grazed any of the land we closed up for second-cut silage. As we come to the end of the third week of August, we have had odd bits of drizzle and one decent shower over the last two months. The volume of grass is somewhere around 1,200kg, but it’s very variable, with particularly poor growth near the mature ash trees along the road. I can only conclude that the spreading ash roots have sucked the moisture from the soil to the detriment of the grass.

I will certainly give it at least another fortnight before deciding to give up or persist with my silage ambitions. I have been told to simply cut it as it is and make round bale silage, rather than getting in my contractor’s big self-propelled unit, trailers and heavy duty loader. But we are not equipped to feed round baled silage.

Between the plastic wrapping and trying to break up each bale to go into my diet feeder, the scope for trouble and damage is too much to consider, at least at this stage.

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We still have grass for the cattle that are grazing and with the high dry matter material they are eating, they look to be doing better than usual. Since we got the filter attached to the pump on our main well serviced, we have had no trouble with the supply of water. We continue to draft the few cattle within six weeks or so of being fit into the houses for a full finishing ration, but the numbers are small so far. This is meant to be the week we had earmarked to sow the oilseed rape.

As I write, there is a mild mist over the place, but the soil is bone dry and I am conscious that we would need a reasonable soaking to have acceptable germination. We still haven’t made a final decision.

Elsewhere, the big 8x4x4 wheaten bales bound for the mushroom trade still have to be cleared from the field. In a normal year we would be hoping to make a start harvesting the wheat this week. This year, apart from the rapidly ripening beans, the 2026 harvest is fading into history.

William Galloway RIP

I was surprised and saddened at the death of William Galloway. An accountant by training and head, until his retirement, of the Waterford office of Ernst &Young, he played a pivotal role in the development of Dawn Meats and the Queally group.

Utterly discreet and preferring to keep out of the limelight, his keen, analytical mind assessed investment opportunities and business risks with a rare thoroughness and astuteness. His funeral at the small church in his native Annestown, Co Waterford, was packed with friends and colleagues who had been touched by his kindness, quiet good humour and business acumen. May he rest in peace.