The Year Round: Record early finish for our harvest

In fact I suffered post harvest depression watching my neighbours still cutting between showers!

The overall result was pleasing. No disasters, barley down a bit, wheat and rape a good average.

With much improved prices, margins should return to worthwhile figures after a few years of relying on the subsidy for my wife to go shopping.

Due to demand, all the corn straw was baled. The barley straw and half the wheat straw is in store for sale during the winter. The remainder was sold in bales straight off the field.

We started sowing rape on August 9, varieties Dimension and Excalibur. Perfect seedbeds were made just by terradiscing the barley stubbles and drilling straight in.

I expect a very lush crop by October and will be looking for some pigeons to eat it down. They will no doubt come in droves, free of charge.

Wheat sowing following rape has begun – varieties Claire and Viscount. Oakley will be sown after potatoes and the barley will be Cassata.

Two neighbouring farmers are planning a windfarm of 10 giant turbines right next door. I can't believe that anyone would want to spoil our Yorkshire Wolds by putting up these inefficient monstrosities.

They will be so out of keeping with anything else in this beautiful area.

They are planned to tower 1000 feet above the valley below, standing on land rising to 600 feet to start with.

If those concerned hadn't been tempted by such massive rental incentives, would they really want them on the Wolds themselves?

If they are allowed, I fear they could be the start of many.

CW 11/9/10