News From The Farm May 2026
2026 so far has been a year of contrasts weather-wise. At the beginning of the year we had 18 inches of rain in 10 weeks ( which is half of our normal annual rainfall! ) followed by only 1/2inch in April and to date, 3/4 inch in May. Like most years, some crops are enjoying the climate ( the wheat, rape and winter oats ), and others less so. Due to the very dry April and May, many crops have not tillered very well, ( which creates a thick crop ), but the heads on the wheat in particular, are big and if we are blessed with more rain, we may find the plants yield well. So fingers crossed for a good yield.
The spring barley looks better from the hedge than it does when walking the field, where again, it is a bit thin due to lack of tillering early on.
This year we decided to grow spring naked oats( rather than winter ones ) for your bird food. These are faring well. Planting spring naked oats helps control the grass weeds, particularly sterile brome and blackgrass, which are a real scourge, and the spring planting will help keep the farm cleaner, with less use of herbicides. The canary seed which normally doesn't like dry weather has established well and is looking promising
We are growing linseed and peas as break crops. The peas, as a legume, don't require any additional Nitrogen and the linseed uses only a small amount. With the continuing conflict in Iran, Nitrogen prices have rocketed by 50% and may continue to rise, quite possibly by another 20%, so using less Nitrogen dependent break crops makes financial sense. We are currently trying to book our fertiliser for harvest 2027, but it is in very short supply and we will have to take the opportunities when they arise -but it will be costly! Our peas are a variety called Mantara maple peas.They are a break crop for our winter wheat and are really loving the hot weather! They will be sold to Robin Appel Ltd , and will eventually find their way into racing pigeon lofts where they will fuel those speedy birds. Maple peas are high in protein ( 20-25% ) and are usually fed in combination with other cereals and legumes to help build lean muscle ( you don't want a fat racing pigeon! ) and repair muscles after arduous races
Lots to like about peas and linseed, but they do have some significant downsides. Both crops can be a nightmare to harvest. Peas can go flat, which means we have to set the combine header very close to the floor, and on our flinty ground, the chances of damaging the combine with a large flint are high. Linseed on the other hand, has really tough wiry straw that loves to wrap itself around the insides of the combine, stripping out bearings! So we are bracing ourselves for some large repair bills over harvest, but hopefully it will be trouble free ( optimistic thinking on my part! ) Our final planting job of the year is underway as I write this; white millet. The red millet is already in the ground. Millet seed is very small and it needs to be planted shallow in dry soil, which is just as well because the fields are like dust bowls at the moment! We prepared the seed bed 4-6 weeks ago to allow the soil to settle and hopefully retain moisture, and now Richard is double -rolling close behind the drill to really firm the seed bed and maximise the seed to soil contact that the millet will need. This year we have over 100 acres of millet going in - all for our UK birds
Last week we had a very enjoyable visit with the Hampshire Farmers Club to Summerdown Farm, near Basingstoke, the home of the Coleman family. Summerdown currently grow around 100 acres of organic Black Mitcham peppermint. 100 years ago it was a native variety, but subsequently died out. It was re-introduced by the family in the early 1990s and WOW what a plant! Standing in the field, there was the most glorious aroma of deep, rich peppermint. The plant leaves are harvested for their organic peppermint tea and are also distilled into organic peppermint oil which gives added flavour to their tea, as well as a range of delicious chocolates and scented home fragrances. After our tour, we were treated to a cup of peppermint tea and some chocolates and I can thoroughly recommend them! The business also grows organic camomile for tea and lavender for the oil.
Our visit to Summerdown was also very nostalgic for Richard since his Mum, Mary, grew up with her parents as farming tenants on the Summerdown Estate. It has changed somewhat since those days! This photo was taken we think around 1945
Exciting Barn Owl News! We finally have a Barn Owl nesting in our barn! We built and erected a Barn Owl box a number of years ago, but I think we got the location wrong and every year we have been disappointed. However - fingers crossed we will have a family this year. Last year was a terrible year for Barn Owl numbers in Hampshire, but this year seems to be a Bonanza - so I will keep you updated on how they get on and hopefully we will have some good news and a few photos to share with you in the next couple of months. These 2 cuties are obviously not ours, but I couldn't resist the photo.
Keeping cool! It has been a challenging few days for our staff processing orders in agricultural buildings in this heat, and we are always indebted to the work they put in on our behalf. I have been keeping the cold drinks and iced towels flowing - and it seems there is a number of ways you can wear an iced tea towel! Stylish guys.
Please keep a close eye on what is happening in your garden – and if you have any doubts, queries or questions, I will be very happy to help you out in any way I can. You can send me your questions here.
Enjoy and take care of your garden birds!
Lesley
