Arable Farmer Focus FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: The best worst harvest everHarvest 2025 was the hardest easy harvest we’ve ever had. It was easy because machines went well and there was virtually nothing to dry. No cereals were cut below 13%… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: A fond farewell means a look forward to changeIn my family’s 30 years in Canterbury and the arable industry, we have been guided by our farm consultant, Roy. Arable was completely new for us - as in, we’d… FARMER FOCUSFarmer focus: Did we just bring in the dream harvest?We often talk about what the dream harvest would look like in Scotland, and this year we may well have encountered it. It felt like we experienced a "Southerner's… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Neighbour’s harvest prompts envyThere are many things that can stress a farmer over the harvest period, the obvious one being the weather. Hearing how your neighbour’s yields have been so much better than… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Second wheats need improvementLike most, harvest has been pretty straightforward, dry to very wet conditions meant the wheat was coming off between 14-15% so no need for drying – just some cooling through… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Sunshine, stress and storageHarvest started at Southesk on 24 July, a week earlier than usual and, at time of writing we are 70% cut. Unsurprisingly, and having reported this in previous articles, 43… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: When farming moves from field to officeAs I mentioned in my last article, July was filled with audits. This got me thinking about just how much administration is now involved in running modern farms. The daily… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: The science behind the soilAs farmers we are eternal optimists. We have to be, we see failure of crops and death of animals, but we are always believing that next time will be better.… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Rethinking rotations for the year aheadA very early harvest is all done with, nothing very pleasing, but nothing completely disastrous, yet. We are just about to start combining the spring beans and this is the… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: This harvest takes me back to 2018This harvest takes me back to 2018; the year we lost my father. It was a dry harvest, we were into wheat by 1 August. The main difference to… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: A royal invitation to the Crown EstateI was honoured to be invited to Windsor Estate for a two-day gathering of more than 300 Crown Estate farmers. As a tenant farmer on crown land, the event was… FARMER FOCUSFarmer Focus: Daring to reduce herbicide useHaving dropped insecticide and limited fungicide use as much as I dare, I’m now looking to reduce herbicide as well. If I grow crops with a known amount of companions,… More articles
