Lucy Nott: Ever played ‘Farmers’ I Spy’?

I’ll start with a disclaimer: I’m penning this column on the train on the way back from the FW Awards. So any mistakes you can blame on the good company and late-night gin.

As I sit looking out of the window, hoping my flat white fixes me, I’m thinking about our more lively fresh-faced chats on the train to London the previous day. If you travelled to the Awards with others, you probably had similar conversations too.

See also: Lucy Nott – harvest 2022 weather is a taste of the future

About the author

Lucy Nott

Farmlife opinion writer

Lucy lives with her husband, a sixth-generation farmer, and their two children on a 100ha (250 acre) arable farm in Worcestershire. On the farm they have a passion for regenerative agriculture and aspire to transition to a regenerative system. They are also part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot and are trialling lots of new things on the farm. They hosted their first LEAF Open Farm Sunday (LOFS) this year and Lucy is now the LOFS Ambassador for the West Midlands.

Read more articles by Lucy Nott

Farmers seem to have an inability to travel anywhere without a running commentary on every field they pass on their journey. It’s like the farming adult’s version of “I Spy”.

Before I entered the wonderful world of agriculture, the patchwork fields through a train window were simply scenery to be soundtracked by my playlist. Now it’s a jigsaw of different farming practices and two hours of conversation starters.

This train journey’s excitement was a couple of fields of undersown maize and some rather plush-looking Class Q conversions. The highlight on our journey up to the Lake District last year was several fields of high-density grazing on diverse pastures. “Farmers’ I Spy” is the gift that keeps on giving.

The stakes are particularly raised when it’s local fields you’re commenting on, with a who’s who of local farming thrown in.

Having been internally giggling about this for a few years, I thought I would never succumb to the game.

However, much to my horror, I found myself playing solo games of it in my head and (it gets worse) reporting on my finds on my return home. I guess you could say farming has got me hook, line and sinker.

As funny as this is, it is important to get off farm, chew the fat with fellow farmers and gain some perspective. Even if that perspective is just nosing over other people’s hedgerows.

We’ve had our blinkers on over the past couple of weeks, with all our efforts going into planting, so it’s good to see other fields flourishing and to remind yourself that maybe, just maybe, you aren’t such a terrible farmer after all…