Anticipation of Spring - On the farm - March 2017

March is more than just a new month. We have the anticipation of Spring being just around the corner. Snowdrops are appearing in the hedgerows, the faint call of newborn lambs can be heard and green shoots can be seen sprouting. There is excitement in the air!

For us here at Newhay, March also sees activity on the farm heighten in the build up to Harvest.

Through the Winter months we take shelter in the warmth of the office, planning, reviewing, researching and doing all the groundwork for growing the best crops going forward over the next year, second, third year and beyond.

 To maintain our soils, Timothy Hay is a crop that is sown on a 4-year rotation unlike barley or wheat which can be grown annually.This is why we have only the best equipment, knowledge and experience at Newhay, including the sheep that we have grazing the pastures down ready for Spring. It’s all about great teamwork!

We work almost 400 acres of land, and 45 acres of this is sown with a crop of Garden Peas. This is done on a field rotation basis, at the end of the 4-year Timothy cycle. The peas are then sown for 1 year as they provide a great, natural source of Nitrogen which is fantastic for the soil, in preparation for the new Timothy that will follow the next year.

This week we’ve been lucky enough to interview our Farm Manager, David Hugill, to get an insight into what’s going on on the farm this month.
In March, the preparation begins.

Our 3 step process to preparing the fields for harvest season

1. David and his team will do regular field walks to check for any debris. David explains, “general litter and branches are removed. Our checks are vigorous and done regularly before and during Harvest to reduce foreign bodies in the crop.
2. New sowings are rolled and the grass is harrowed to remove any moss and dead grass. This then helps to rejuvenate the existing pastures and encourage good growth.
3. Next is an assessment of what support the soil and crop needs. This varies from field to field and this year, we are rolling out a detailed Leaf Analysis programme across the acreage which will be done every two weeks for the 36 weeks of growing and harvesting to determine what support the soil needs. 

“This gives us a detailed breakdown of what is in the plant along with what it is lacking and in what area, whether it be head, leaf or stem. This allows me to make a prescriptive fertilisation plan. The detail we can drill down to is fantastic and we’re excited to see the results,” says David.

So, we hope you’ve got a Spring in your step after reading this! We sure have on the farm and look forward to bringing you the next instalment of a month in the life of Newhay! Happy March everyone!