With beans being the last crop through the combine on the ninth and the biggest crop of maize we have ever grown coming in on the 18th. Let's put it this way we could have filled our clamp twice over but apart from trying to figure out where to put it all and a few stuck machines it ended on a high and it's a massive relief to have everything in.
It may just be me but the harvest period does turn me into a bit of a recluse, it's so difficult to make plans of any kind when a change in the weather can change the whole trajectory of your day. Once all the crops are in the sheds I do like to try and make the effort to prove to my friends that I am in fact alive and well. I like to make plans to see people and get me off the yard for my own sanity most of the time because let's face it there is only so much time you can spend with your family.
So far this has included going to see Luke Combs in Manchester. If you don't know who Luke Combs is he is basically the Ed Sheeran of country music. The concert did very much feel like a farmers' convention and you could clearly guess the people heading the concert as cowboy hats, boots and fringe could all be seen on Manchester's streets. It was a brilliant day and night even if this country bumpkin did nearly get ran over by a bus trying to figure out which way to walk out the train station.
Upper Severn Grassland Society
This year people have even come to the yard for a chance for me to socialise. We were very honoured to host the Upper Severn Grassland Society at the farm as part of their tour of the North West.
When I received a phone call a few months ago I never expected a whole coach load of Welsh farmers to turn up. There was that many people when they first descended out of the coach, I was sure the back door was open and people were just walking back in the other side to mess with me but no a total of 50 people came.
The old brew tin had to be washed out for the first time in years and eight kettle loads later I think just about everyone got a brew. Some brilliant questions where asked and it was brilliant to meet so may people who enjoy farming as much as we do.
The reason I'm writing about this is this year has been a tough one for every sector, this job even though the best in the world can at times become all consuming. It's important to make time to enjoy life outside of it for your own well-being really and don't feel guilty for that.
