It’s Springwatch on the Farm

Spring has really sprung on the farm over the last few weeks, It is always a great relief to see the days gradually getting longer and the change of the clocks enabling us to make use of the lighter evenings.

The weather has been favourable for the arable side.  The spring beans were planted in ideal conditions at the end of February and are already looking good in row.  The spring barley was drilled a little later and has just emerged through the ground. These spring plantings help spread the workload over the farm and also help with weeds & diseases in the rotation.

The Oilseed Rape is slowly bursting into flower.  As well as being a spectacular sight, it is providing a valuable source of food for bees and many other insects. We established Wild Flower strips in the autumn on many of our arable fields as part of a stewardship scheme.  The plan is that these should start to flower and replace the Oilseed Rape as a food source for the bees and insects once it finishes flowering and starts to form pods.

The grass has been growing well which should enable us over the next week to turn the cattle out to their summer pastures. If the weather stays settled we also hope to take our first cut of silage, this will start to replenish our food stocks in preparation for keeping the cattle fed over the winter months.

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