Farmers have a range of tasks and responsibilities spread throughout the year. The work is diverse and can be intensive at times, reflecting the seasonal and dynamic nature of agriculture. The demand for our farm contracting services can also be affected by factors like weather patterns, changes in farming practices and economic conditions.
Here’s a general overview of our activities throughout the seasons.
Spring
Between March and May, our farm contracting services focus on getting the land ready.
- Spring is a busy period for ploughing, harrowing and preparing seedbeds, followed by planting seeds for various crops, including cereals, vegetables and fodder crops.
- It is also the time for testing and fertilising the soil to ensure a successful growing season and the best possible yields.
- Managing and controlling pests and weeds in spring is crucial to safeguard the health of future crops.
Summer
From June to August, our focus turns to maintenance and care.
- Haymaking, mowing, tedding, baling and stacking are all essential tasks during the summer.
- Monitoring and managing crop growth is key, potentially requiring an additional application of fertilisers and/or pest and weed control measures.
- And depending on the weather, irrigating the fields might be another task on our list.
- A job for late summer is harvesting any early crops, such as barley and rapeseed.
Autumn
September to November is the season to harvest and tidy.
- In autumn, our harvesting services for crops like wheat, oats and potatoes are in high demand.
- This is followed by preparing the fields and sowing winter crops, including winter wheat and barley.
- This season is also about re-seeding, aerating and fertilising grasslands for livestock.
- And it’s a good time for hedge cutting and maintaining field borders.
Winter
Between December and February, we take stock and prepare for our next farm contracting year.
- In winter, we tend to be busy with services relating to livestock housing, breeding and health management, and caring for any animals that are kept indoors.
- We also use this slightly quieter season for repairing and maintaining farm machinery.
- It’s an ideal time for preparing for the upcoming year, with crop planning, soil analysis and farm management strategies.
- The winter months are also great for tree planting and managing any woodland areas.
We engage in many other tasks throughout the year, with the aim of helping our clients to optimise their operations and respond to the challenges posed by the weather, market demands and environmental considerations.
If you could benefit from some extra flexibility, expertise and cost efficiencies by outsourcing some of your farming activities to us, get in touch to discuss the next steps.