LATEST ARTICLES
Viewpoints
Home Farm: BISS, oilseed rape, crop emergence, beef drops.
Matt Dempsey
The rapid increase in grain prices internationally over the last week or so, has lifted the expectations for this year's harvest, but there is a long way to go yet.
8 May 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: watching the winter barley
I have had one diagnosis of rhynchosporium on the winter barley, brought on I presume because of a delay in applying a protective spray with the continuous wet weather.
1 May 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: what a difference a week of dry weather makes
On the cattle side, this has been the first time this year that we have been able to get out on the grazed paddocks without leaving unacceptable tracks.
Home Farm: drying out at last
Every fine day is making a huge difference to ground conditions.
24 April 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: solid ground at last
All the cattle were brought back in after the deluge in the middle of last week, and to give the ground a chance to recover.
10 April 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: wet weather still slowing progress
On the tillage side, land has certainly got firmer and the water level in what I use as an indicator ditch has dropped significantly.
3 April 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: some progress at last
Some of the headlands have effectively no crop at all. It’s not just a low plant population - it’s a total absence of any plants.
27 March 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: feed bills mount
Looking at our normal silage ground, we have some really heavy infestations of docks.
20 March 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: spring work restarts
We are continuing to buy in young cattle as we sell beef out and with the slurry in the slatted houses now reasonably under control, things are more comfortable than they were even 10 days ago.
13 March 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: Young stores all back in
With last week's rain and a mediocre forecast, it will still be some time before we can get out on the crops.
6 March 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: change of tillage plans
Even if we don’t get to sow the spring barley until 1 May, we can still be confident of getting a crop that’s usable as either arable silage or as usable grain and straw.
28 February 2024 Viewpoints
Home Farm: time for essential spring work slipping by
Every day in the shed is money out and a diminishing pit of silage
21 February 2024 Viewpoints