Despite the dismal forecast for last week, we got all the hay baled on Thursday after a run of unexpectedly dry days in our part of the country.

We have now fully replenished our hay stocks and hopefully a reasonable second cut of silage will bring us up to meet our target supplies of winter feed and allow us to buy in the normal number of cattle.

We have brought in the last of the 2023 cattle for their final finishing period and have continued to buy in stores as the beef have gone to the factory.

Our concentration over the next few months will be on the harvest. The winter barley is now fully ready with straw beginning to break down. Our contractor’s combine is standing by ready to go but waiting for conditions to be dry enough.

Barley

Our barley is under contract and we will try and hold off cutting till we are confident that it’s at 20% moisture or less.

We have forward sold about half the expected yield. Given the drop in prices over the last six weeks it will have turned out to be the right decision, provided our yield and quality conditions are met by the crop. If they are not, then we will be out of pocket.

We are still not clear on the final shape of the straw chopping compromise.

We had only applied to chop the oats and oilseed rape. We have both crops of barley straw sold, though the price is not set until we see where the market settles.

The wheaten straw will as usual go for the mushroom trade, though again the price is up in the air.

With the removal of the chopping obligation I was wondering what to do with the oilseed rape straw when I got a call from one of my neighbours wondering if I had straw suitable for solid fuel burners.

Rape straw

Oilseed rape straw has the highest calorific value of any of the mainstream crops, so we settled in principle that we would bale the rape straw for him and again discuss the price when the market had settled.

I reckon the rape will take about three and a half weeks to be ready after we applied Roundup to control the weeds, so we still have another full fortnight to go.

Meanwhile, the spring barley is turning and the beans are setting pods.

Like most I have seen this year, the beans crop is extremely thick and has established really well after direct drilling at the end of April.

Are they too thick to achieve maximum yield? Probably, but we will have to wait and see and keep disease under control – downey mildew and especially chocolate spot can decimate yields.