Read our latest blog from Justin, Farmer here at Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust.
Harvesting in Autumn
It’s been quite the year, and we’ve just wrapped up harvesting the oats & barley we sowed back in the spring. This corn is crucial as it feeds our sheep and cattle through next year, but it wasn’t an easy journey to get it into the barn this time around.
A Late Harvest
Due to an unusually wet spring, the harvest has been delayed. In fact, some farmers didn’t even attempt to plant some crops because the fields were so waterlogged. Luckily, we managed to get our corn in the ground, but it’s been a tough year for cereals and other crops. The unpredictable weather made it a real challenge, and we’ve had to adapt along the way.
Thankfully, the late autumn sunshine and windy days we’ve had recently helped dry the crops just in time for harvest. Before starting, we measured the moisture content of the corn to ensure it was dry enough. Once we hit the right percentage, it was go, go, go!
Harvesting the Crops
To harvest, we called in Wildwoods, our trusted contractor. They handle the heavy lifting—literally! We don’t own our own combine harvester because the cost of such a machine is incredibly high. Wildwoods did an excellent job, helping us get through 80 acres of oats and barley over three days.
Once the corn is harvested, its stored for the winter until we’re ready to use it. Before it can be fed to the animals, we’ll run it through a mill to “bruise” the cereal. This process softens the grains, making them easier for the sheep and cattle to digest. It’s an important step to ensure our animals get the nutrition they need.
Straw for Winter Bedding
The cereal harvest also produces a valuable by-product: straw. We’ll bale the straw and store it in the shed—about 100 bales in total. This straw will provide bedding for the animals during the colder months, helping to keep them warm and comfortable.
We leave some of the stubbles over the winter to provide a really important habitat for birds like the rare Cirl Bunting. Any spilt grain gives them a source of much needed food in the cold winter months
Preparing for Next Season
With the oats and barley now safely in, the next step is preparing the fields for spring. We’re getting ready to sow rye corn between the harvest. This will provide grazing for our lambs next spring, keeping them healthy and well-fed as the pastures come to life once again. Farming is never predictable—especially with the changing weather patterns we’ve seen over the last few years—but the work is always rewarding. Despite the challenges, there’s nothing like the feeling of seeing the harvest complete and knowing that we’re well-prepared for the season ahead.
Thanks for following along with our journey here at Torbay Coast & Countryside Trust. We’ll be back to share more soon as we look toward winter and the preparations that come with it.
