As farmers, we always find ourselves at the mercy of external forces that we cannot control. We will all be aware that this winter was no exception.

During October, a critical month in our arable calendar, we were graced with rainfall that doubled the 30-year average for our little corner of Herefordshire, dousing us with 159mm for the month.

We’ve come out of this with battle scars, and with areas of wheat I’m certainly in no rush to show off.

See also: How YEN prize winners have achieved impressive OSR yields

About the author

Billy Lewis

Billy Lewis farms 140ha in Herefordshire in partnership with his parents. They keep Hereford cattle, sheep and grow combinable crops including winter wheat, winter oats and spring beans. He also contract farms an additional 80ha.

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For the first time in my farming career, we’ve had a complete crop failure in the form of our winter oats; a shame as this is a crop that we normally grow very well in our low-input system.

Despite the dodgy patches, crops are now looking respectable heading into the spring.

In the years preceding 2023, we’ve been investing in something very important – our soil. This year, the investment is paying dividends.

Most of our cereals were direct-drilled, with the majority now showing promise, having weathered the deluge quite well.

We will be applying between 50-100kg/ha N to our winter wheats this year, with the intention of obtaining yields between 8.5-9.5t/ha – a feat we’ve comfortably achieved in the past couple of years.

As for our failed oats, straw is a concern for us being a mixed farm, but we are resisting the allure of a spring cereal as, after all, your first loss is your best loss.

Instead, we shall be opting for some very punchy grassland options as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).

This grass will be used to fatten some of our lambs that will hopefully be sold for circa £120, making a tonne of wheat at £170 look like a fool’s game.

You’ll hear no complaints about SFI from us. Our current scheme will see us no worse off than we were before the dark ages of the Basic Payment Scheme.

Importantly, we’re not compromising the output of the farm. In fact, it is steadily increasing.

It is encouraging that Defra have recognised the importance of sustainable farming, and I’m quietly confident about the future for those willing to embrace this.