OT: And ... they're off

[Tim Streater]

Combine has pitched up, hooked up his lawnmower bit, and is off in a cloud of dust mowing the hell out of the wheat field opposite.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I travelled by train yesterday from Bognor to London, and saw loads of crops ready for harvest. With no sign of a harvester. Isn't there a fairly short window for harvesting?

[whisky-dave]

Maybe we can't get enough migrants in to do the job now we've left the EU ;-)

[Adrian Caspersz]

They need to harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops that make the fuel to run the machines that harvest the fuel crops ....

... then harvest food.

[Yvonne]

It may look ripe to a lay person but ripeness is not a function of colour a lone. It takes an experienced "eye" and a taste test. When to harvest is a decision which takes into account several variables, yield,weather,quality, market price and, for some, the availability of contractors with a fleet o f harvesters and trailers.

Also, whilst the weather is likely to continue dry for several more days, l eaving it improves the quality of the grain matures and hardens.

Grain hardens when its moisture content reduces. Hard grain sells better an d stores better.

If the weather continues dry then the farmer will not need to artificially dry the grain after harvesting. Drying grain (to stop mould etc,etc) costs a lot of money and could wipe out most of the profit margin.

Farmers in most of Southern England are having a good year with the dry wea ther coming at just the right July/Aug) after a prolonged wet spell in May- June. Rain at the right time is critical for growth and later, yield.

French farmers by contrast are having a disaster year as a result of much h igher rainfall during June/July and August. Yields will be down 30%.

[Tim Streater]

Not with sustained good weather, AFAIK. But rain threatens so they're probably hurrying a bit, because then the wheat is wet and they have to wait until its moisture content drops, or harvest it wet and then it costs to dry it out.

Round here we get done last as being at the top of the Downs. It looks like there's just the one combine that covers lots of farms.

Hmmm. Lessee now, looks like he's done about a third of the field and then pushed off. I suppose it may also depend on the availability of the grain trucks or whatever they're called that the tractors drop off for the combine to empty grain into. And perhaps the silos the grain is stored in.

[Tim Streater]

I quite often see the chap who farms the land (who is not the actual landowner) stopped at the side of the road a ways down from here, taking samples.

[Broadback]

Locally the Autumn crops are in,=. The farmer is now ploughing the fields, very noisily. His equipment is in dire need of s spot of oil :-((

[The Natural Philosopher]

Oh they've done here. I have a straw tower block outside that you would never get planning permission for...

[charles]

In our village is a farm with fields both side of what was the Olympic Cycle route. The afrmer said to me, not mattrr if they've closed the road, if I'm harvesting that day. I'll cross it. Luckily it didn't come to that.

[John Rumm]

Yup, they have been working long hours in the fields round us for the last week or so...

[Tim Streater]

Further south so further ahead than us. We were down near Poitier a week or so ago, and they'd finished there.

Meanwhile ... looks like they've fixed the combine and he's finished the field. I guess the bloke with the bailer will be along tomorrow to build Stonehenge.

[harry]

How do you know they were ready?

[Andrew]

You were lucky. That's a notorious route for RMT action on Southern.

All the wheat crops at the top of the South Downs around whiteways picnic site were combined back in July.

Wheat needs to be combined when the moisture levels are low enough to allow storage without additional drying (which guzzles huge amounts of red diesel). Grain farmers have their own testers that indicate moisture content and a few other parameters.

Not all farmers have their own combining and baling kit which is a £500,000++ investment (Combine £250,000, two grain trailers plus

100+ HP 4wd tractors another £250,000, then a bigggggg baler and suitable trailers). In this case they use contractors who can only be in one place at a time.

[Andrew]

Wheat, Barley and Oats are ripe for combining at different times.

Oats is usually last. In Scotland oats may not be combined until well into Autumn.

[Adrian Caspersz]

[The Natural Philosopher]

That's because you don't grow oats where wheat or barley will grow so its mostly grown in the cold wet North. Where the growing season is shorter.

Additionally they will be sowing winter wheat here shortly, so its ready for earlier harvesting next year. Or it may be rape this time.,

[Tim Streater]

Yes, having finished combining the field across the road, the druids came back today to build Strawhenge. Elsewhere I suppose since they took all the bales away.

[Tim Streater]

The field around us has beans for animal feed. It's blackening nicely but won't get combined until everything else is done.

[tony sayer]

In article , Dave Plowman (News) scribeth thus

Been at it for the least three weeks or so up here en Cambridgeshire....