Rodney Down: Rain is happily welcomed as it spurs on the barley

The rainfall is however, needed desperately with patchy germination on the maize fields and some not even germinated at all. The barley has shot out in ear overnight - it was just waiting to get its head wet. It has been a good two weeks behind, with everyone else’s barley in full ear for at least the last three weeks. I keep telling myself it is because ours isn’t under stress.

Grass growth slowed to 60kgDM/day last week from a high of 100. We will wait and see if it will get back up to the 100 mark soon. If so, it could be classed as a vintage year as far as grazing goes.

Many of my friends will be pleased to hear I have modernised my parenting skills this month and now do the pre-school run when I can, partly due to Lauren’s insistence she does not like it.

Being an hour late home on the first day, Claire thought I had stayed on to help. The problem was Robbie, my neighbour, is on a similar wavelength and now we can compare grass growth, contractor’s charges and all other farmer perils. Now all we need is all the other farmer fathers to attend and it could migrate to the pub.

Next week’s agenda is to work out how to find an extra £10,000 which has just been taken off our annual milk income due to a ‘re-adjustment’ in the Arla volume bonus and an annoying daily collection charge of £6.75. Once again fuel costs are being passed onto us from all directions. The question is will this be reduced after the next board meeting due to the recent fall in oil prices?

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