The Cranham Farming Diary

October 2002

Overtown Farm is a National Trust farm, tenanted by Martin and Pauhla Whitaker.
It is beef, sheep and arable and has been in organic conversion since 1999. The farm will be wholly organic in 2003.

MICHAELMAS (Sept 28th) is a quarter day that generally marks the start of the farming year.
The harvest is (usually) complete and the next years crops are due to be sown. Michaelmas is a time when farm tenancys usually change hands and the old hiring fairs took place. Hence it seems an ideal time to start a monthly farm diary.

Cleaning home saved seed using mobile cleaning contractors.

On this farm, the first week of October saw the planting of the winter corn. The crop we planted was Triticale, a cross between wheat and rye. It has been around for over a century and is suited to harsh environments which make it suitable to an organic system because it grows very tall (thus smothering the weeds) and doesn't need high soil fertility. The grain is used primarily for animal feed although I have found bread recipes using triticale flour on American websites, but I havent tried any yet!

Grain being drilled into a dry seedbed by Mr V Meldrew.

After the nice, dry September the recent rain and gales have come as an unpleasant reminder of winter and some of the smaller cattle have been brought indoors and the winter feeding has started. We are also buying in organic store cattle as well and having an interesting time visiting other organic farms (if you know of any for sale please e-mail m.p.whitaker@tinyworld.co.uk).
On the sheep front, the ewes have had their feet trimmed to keep them healthy and their backsides shorn (crutched) to make the rams job a bit easier! The lambs are being sold at the moment and our home freezer packs are selling well (e-mail m.p.whitaker@tinyworld.co.uk if you are interested in a whole or half lamb !!!).



The rams at the Knoll discussing "beer and football", during a quiet moment before the tupping season starts.

The barns are full of hay and straw which could be a portent of a hard winter, or more than likely a good growing season.

October weather lore…

"In October, manure your field,
And your land it's wealth shall yield"

"Cuckoo wheat and woodcock hay,Will make a farmer run away".

See you next month.
Martin
p.s: See if you can spot the blatant plug masquerading as a news item!

Click here to return to The Farming page.

To return to Cranham.net click here