Being a county council tenant is hardly a bed of roses, but it’s better than the tenants of the Somerset county estate deserve as Farmers Weekly has reported in recent weeks. My sympathies go to all those affected by the rationalisation.

This, and other events that have happened closer to home in the past year, makes me think that large price spikes in agricultural markets are possibly counter-productive to our long-term future. Especially when rich and powerful interests in the industry decide it’s time to put poor people back in their place.

There’s no better example than the wild over-tendering for scarce amounts of rented land coming onto the market at rates that make even the tweediest of land agents turn pink with delight but in a normal year turn any hope of profit into a pipe dream. Bankers must be struggling to suppress the smirks on their faces as another farmer calls to extend their facility because exorbitant market prices are rare and never sustained.

Back on farm, all but the last small areas of winter cereals are in the ground, so I’m turning my attention to winter jobs, in particular Denver Mill, the local windmill and craft bakery I supply. We worked together over the summer to buy all the components for a cleaning, bagging and weighing line for all its grain requirements as well as a separate de-hulling mill for spelt.

Between us we’ve managed to get everything commissioned in a spare shed on the farm and I’ve volunteered to run the machinery and do the deliveries into the windmill, usually half a tonne at a time, over the winter as it is running flat out. This is no surprise given how tasty its bread is. I’m delighted I traded my truck for a pick-up earlier in the year so I can carry this quantity of grain safely.

• To read more from Andrew Charlton click here, or to see what our other Farmer Focus Arable writers have to say click here.