[Miscellaneous]

@Charliesixtysix I'm becoming more intrigued. How does the business model work? Is return calculated on a %age yield, EG 75% of acreage sown? Or as I think more likely, is it simply a case of the farmer gets going rate with any shortfall in yield losses being his loss?

[cjrpaterson]

I’ve enjoyed the “Harry’s Farm” channel which recently explained these sorts of things - e.g.

[Bill McCarthy]

Yet, in Scotland there have been record yields due to OUR dry spring - 18 t/ha wheat in St Andrews. Neighbours spring barley yield up 20%. I’m still struggling to get my spring oats combined - it flattened overnight recently in a stormy night with heavy rain. It too looks like a heavy crop but the weather is now against me.

[Charliesixtysix]

Cracking yields indeed - well done to them.

You won’t find many 8 tonne/ha wheat crops around here this year - and that from a hugely reduced sown area too.

[Charliesixtysix]

Misc: Mostly cereal farmers are price takers as you describe - you can hedge against price fluctuation by forward selling but you need you be sure you will have the product to meet the sale. Thus most folk only sell part of their expected yield ahead of harvest and accept market price on the remainder, selling when they think price is at its best ( or to meet cashflow needs).

[Charles Hunt]

Re Harry's farm. If you had one poor yielding crop, and one valuable one ready to go, wouldn't you get the valuable one in first?

[Charliesixtysix]

Not all crops ( or even varieties of the same crop) ripen at the same time. Harry's wheat was only just coming ready as he explained in the video. A sensible cropping plan factors this in to spread the workload through the harvesting period.

[leiafee]

This is all strangely interesting - hitherto my interest in crops in general has been limited to “Is whatever’s sharing a field with the strip going to make landing and taking off feel like a run on the Death Star trench in a few months or no?”

[matthew_w100]

I agree! Going for a covid walk in the fields every (other, if I'm honest) day has sparked a "what is it/how is it changing" fascination for all things bucolic. I am very grateful to the farmers on here for helping me out.

[Highland Park]

Fascinating thread. Although I live in and was brought up in a rural part of England, I’ve always felt (to my shame) that my knowledge around this subject has been lacking and I need to improve it...

Ian

[TheFarmer]

Anybody fancy a fresh ‘grow a crop on the forum’ thread?

It’s the right time of year

[Charliesixtysix]

Do it.

Fieldlandings website reborn...


Farmer - you can do the autumn crops and I'll do maize, (that way I can stay in bed until next April before my shift starts)

[matthew_w100]

Bad luck - she is.

Is linseed used for both seeds (presumably to make oil) and flax fibre from the one crop? Or do you have different varieties or harvesting methods and times for the two purposes?

[Charliesixtysix]

Normally it is only the seed that has significant value. The straw can be chopped and incorporated if favourable conditions at harvest - or baled and removed if not.
Use of the baled straw varies according to local demand but is unlikely to be of any great value. Sometimes it can go for power station fuel but linseed straw Is not the preferred crop for them to burn unless there is a shortage of better material, so it is not uncommon for it to be stacked up and still there a year later whilst the proud owner decides what to do with it...

@TheFarmer what did you do with your winter linseed straw this year?

[TheFarmer]

It was baled up and used as sacrificial ‘top bales’ on the outside wheat and barley straw stacks.