Farm Diary

APRIL ended with some typical showery weather. Although not as pleasant as the first weeks of glorious sunshine, most farmers, growers and gardeners needed some rain, and it has certainly refreshed the land. Our maize seed bed cultivations came to a halt, as we switched to sub-soiling and ploughing the last 100 acres, leaving us with all the remaining maize ground to be finally worked down and drilled.

I hope that by the time you read this it will be all over for 2009, with all the maize seed in the ground. It has been a remarkable run to be honest, and we will be very lucky to do as well in the future. We planned for the worst, and the perfect spring made it very easy it has to be said.

We are now within a week or so of cutting grass silage, weather permitting, with plenty to do in order to get the silage clamp clean and ready for the new crop. I am going to try a 'cling-film' on the silage this year, below the main silage sheet. This should seal the grass much more effectively, and minimize any waste, particularly on the shoulders of the clamp, where it's difficult to get a proper seal with a conventional sheet.

I am after an extra two litres, per cow, per day, above the performance of this last winter from my grass and maize silage next winter; time will tell, but if we get the sunshine, we are certainly leaving nothing else to chance.

The cows are milking well, but access to grazing is still limited due to the building works. I will now cut most of the fields and get cows out on aftermaths, which should grow back very well with our dirty water irrigation. As we now calve all year round and maintain a level supply of milk, we have qualified for the first time, not to have 'seasonality' applied to our milk pricing.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette May 5