In August I reported that the cereal harvest at Low Fields Farm ended on July's last day. Since then we have had a difficult and frustrating time which has only ended because of a cheerful and dedicated work staff.
It became obvious that the usual three weeks break between the end of corn harvest and the start of potatoing would be cut to three days. This included dealing with the rest of the straw and the drilling of more winter wheat for 2009's harvest, havin
g already cleaned and dressed the seed.
We made a start on the potato harvest, for we have found from bitter experience that if we don't begin lifting by the third week in September we shall overrun the likelihood of fine weather. On these level acres of warpland, there may be a long wait for sticky land to become dry once more.
Potato varieties are Estima, Desiree and Harmony. The rows themselves have been reasonably dry, but tubers below them had much soil attached and our gang of sorters had a difficult time. The packing house to which our tubers are delivered will inevitably find something wrong, even though we plan that every tuber is expected by five pairs of eyes.
The new oilseed rape crops are struggling. They are not even as we would like as establishment conditions have varied widely.
I've been so busy sorting products under cover that I haven't seen much wildlife, though we have lots of pheasants. The young swallows have already departed for other climes.
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