May used to be the month when we could make a start on the odd jobs list, but over the past couple of years it seems to be just as busy, with plenty going on.

Any remaining fertiliser gets applied, the chemical store is bursting at the seams, new cattle are arriving on the farm, environmental plots and margins go in, and in among it all I turn another year older.

Oh, and my husband and I plant 10,000 pumpkin plants, just because we like to be kept busy. I can’t quite believe it is pumpkin season again – as they say, time flies when you’re having fun.

See also: World’s first verified carbon-negative tree nursery founded

About the author

Annabel Hamilton

Annabel Hamilton farms 1,030ha of arable in the Scottish Borders with her parents. The arable area grows 65% winter and 35% spring crops. She is Basis and Facts qualified and runs a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. The farm finishes more than 300 Limousin cattle a year.  Follow Annabel on Twitter @annabelhami11

Read more articles by Annabel Hamilton

By now, the demo John Deere 8RX 370 which we had while the hire tractor was getting fixed should have arrived at its new home here at Bee Edge.

If these adverse weather conditions we keep experiencing become the norm, we will need to become a more resilient business, and purchasing this tractor is a step in the right direction.

Involving our staff in this decision was vital and we are all excited to see it in action.

At the end of May I attended a course in first aid for mental health, funded by RSABI. It is not often I can sit in a classroom all day, but on this day I did.

RSABI has put more than 600 people through this course, which goes to show the need for an educational course in this subject.

The course was led by a former Royal Marine who had struggled with his own mental health, in a career that has more similarities to agriculture than I had first thought.

With one in four people experiencing a mental health problem at some point in their lifetime, I know that I will either experience it myself or – after attending the course – be more prepared to offer initial support to someone experiencing a mental health problem.

These courses should become a requirement – just like emergency first aid at work, as you only have to help one person, whether a family member, friend or employee, to make a difference.