Farmer Focus: Silage work was fraught, but we got there
© Richard Stanton Due to the significant change in weather that happened around the summer solstice, we could refer to this summer, as the “summer of two halves”.
Considering the drastically dry conditions we experienced towards the end of June, the damp conditions would have been the best thing that could have happened to us.
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But many who have been sliding around their wet fields, trying to get their harvest in, would argue differently.
We, like many others, have been in a position of trying to grab any silage within the narrow weather opportunities that were available – we got there in the end.
Thankfully, the bonus was we had a bumper crop, with two full silage pits, and more bales than we expected.
Our main line of work during August was keeping lambs clean, dosing accordingly and preventing any blowfly strike, which has been a concern over the summer.
The lambs and cattle were moved on to the aftermaths in early August. The 16-month steers are now strip-grazing with electric fencing, through red clover swards, and hopefully gaining well more than 1kg/day on their way to be fattened by Christmas.
As we reflect on the summer, the main point for me was our ability to leave the farm and enjoy some special time with family and friends.
One of the main events was the National Eisteddfod (poetry and music session), that was held this year in a very beautiful part of Wales at Boduan on the Llyn Peninsular.
A large group of us were there for the week in caravans, enjoying some Welsh culture, and spectacular seaside scenery.
But as the weather improved midweek, I and many other farming families had to return home to do some much-needed silaging.
The second half of August was an opportunity to visit a few small local shows, enjoy people being brought together and chat to people of all ages. As I’m writing this we’re enjoying an early September heatwave, or as we say in Welsh: haf bach Mihangel.
We have enjoyed many amazing autumns over the past 10 years, and it makes such a difference. After enjoying myself during the summer, I’ve got quite a list of things to do for the autumn.