 From LEAF Farmer Duncan Farrington
August NewsletterIt's summer time,holiday time for most, whether the new trend of ‘staycations,’ or the more traditional trip away for a week or two to recharge batteries and have a change of routine with families and friends. Whatever it is, fine weather is always appreciated, and the same is true for us on the farm, as harvest swings into action. As I write we are a few days away, with everything just about ready to go. We have had some decent showers which will finish the crops off, and now we wait for the sun again before the combine starts, with dust, hot weather, late nights and the general buzz of another year’s crop to bring in. Over the last few days we have had the chance to catch up on the latest theories involved in modern day agriculture, admittedly subject matter can be a bit dry for the uninitiated, but it keeps us up to date with the latest in health and safety, good environmental techniques, best use of crop pesticides, or public access for example. With so much theory and back to the classroom sessions, I think everyone will be glad when they can put theory into practice over the next few months. Harvest starts in our area with the barley first in July, although we do not grow this crop, it is a major crop in Britain, being used for animal feed, and also to make malt as used in the brewing industry. Then we move on to the rapeseed at the end of July and early August; those yellow fields we see around the countryside in May, which are now brown, with tiny oil being seeds used in everything from Farrington’s Mellow Yellow rapeseed oil; mayonnaise; cosmetics such as lipstick and moisturiser creams; to slip agents and even mastic in industrial uses. As August continues we move into the main crop grown in the Britain, namely wheat. This crop is used for everything from breakfast cereals; flour for bread; biscuits; glucose syrups in fizzy drinks; to biodegradable glues and those little squidgey pieces of packaging material instead of polystyrene. Finally if all goes well with the weather on our side, at the end of August and the start of September, we finish harvest with the spring beans. With this crop we aim to get high a high quality for export to the Middle East where it is highly admired as a local staple high protein breakfast food, if the quality is not reached, it will be used for animal feed in this country. The three simple crops we grow on our farm are used to make a multitude of finished products for food, health, and non-food uses that we use everyday. In fact Britain produces something like 75% of the native food we consume, with farmers harvesting crops for several months around the country. Just think of some examples such as Jersey Royal potatoes, asparagus and lamb in the spring; or Kentish strawberries for Wimbledon fortnight; Fresh cut Daffodils or Peonies (not ideal for eating); juicy tomatoes grown in glasshouses using heat and waste gas from power stations; West country apples in the autumn. On our recent holiday in Scotland, the diversity of food we produce on this little island was clear to see as we enjoyed barbequed trout we caught in the loch, followed by fresh raspberries bought from the local farmer on the roadside next to the field they were grown in. All this talk of food makes me feel hungry. Time for something to eat I think, followed by some of that malted barley drink – not too cold mind. Then we just need some sun; the radio on the tractor tuned to TMS for the ashes, and I’m ready for harvest.
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