Farming year
Twelve months on the chalk.
What happens on the farm each month: in the fields, in the yard and with the cattle. Pick a season, or read the whole year.
Winter
January
In the fields
Walk the winter wheat after frost; mend gates and plan the spring.
In the yard
Machinery in for service; the sprayer goes for its annual test.
With the cattle
Cattle in the yards on hay and silage; scanning results in.
Winter
February
In the fields
First fertiliser on the wheat when the ground can carry a tractor.
In the yard
Seed for spring barley delivered and checked.
With the cattle
Calving starts at the end of the month.
Spring
March
In the fields
Spring barley drilled into a fine seedbed; rolling the frost-lifted wheat.
In the yard
Hedge-cutting finishes by the end of February; the cutter is stored.
With the cattle
Calving in full swing; nights in the shed.
Spring
April
In the fields
Sprays on the wheat and rape; first walks of the barley.
In the yard
Contracting season starts: spraying for neighbours.
With the cattle
Cows and calves out onto the spring grass.
Spring
May
In the fields
Rape in flower; skylarks nesting in the margins.
In the yard
Silage and haylage for neighbours.
With the cattle
The bull goes in with the cows.
Summer
June
In the fields
Last sprays; walking the barley for disease.
In the yard
Haymaking in the meadows; open farm Sunday.
With the cattle
Cattle on the down; fly control.
Summer
July
In the fields
Oilseed rape harvest starts; barley walked on foot.
In the yard
Combine and dryer ready; grain store cleaned.
With the cattle
Weaning plans; water troughs checked daily.
Summer
August
In the fields
Barley and wheat harvest; straw baled behind the combine.
In the yard
Dryer running through the night; lorries booked.
With the cattle
Cattle stay out; grass watched in dry spells.
Autumn
September
In the fields
Rape drilled; stubbles worked down.
In the yard
First grain lorries to the maltings; drilling for neighbours.
With the cattle
Calves weaned; cows scanned.
Autumn
Now
October
In the fields
Winter wheat drilled into dry ground.
In the yard
Contracting team drilling across the county.
With the cattle
Cattle come in from the down.
Autumn
November
In the fields
Wheat up and growing; slug and pigeon watch.
In the yard
Hedge-cutting starts on a two-year rotation.
With the cattle
Cattle housed; feeding starts.
Winter
December
In the fields
Fields rest; ditches cleared.
In the yard
Hedge-laying on the old boundaries; field book written up.
With the cattle
Cattle fed twice a day; Christmas beef boxes collected.
Come and see it for yourself.
Walk the farm in any month, or ring us about what’s happening this week.