Brett Vale Farming Diary - October 2026
Half past eight on the last Friday of October and we are “caught up” drilling.
This is a nice feeling for everyone and means we can, mostly, enjoy a relaxing weekend. The daylight hours are shorter now and, with the clocks having changed, the evenings can seem particularly long if we’re still out in the field in the dark.
While the month started off in true 2026 style – dry, we have now had some welcome rain to soften the clods, help the wheat emerge and allow the rape to grow away from the flea beetle. The wheat crops are now very pleasing on the eye, particularly in the low afternoon sun. Ground conditions have been good, allowing us to travel with the sprayers and apply top-up herbicides in the ongoing battle against blackgrass.
With some moisture around and a few patches of clods larger than we would like, the risk of slug damage was a concern. This gave us the opportunity to try out our farm sale bargain buy, a 24m slug pelleter mounted on the Gator. It has proved to be an excellent step up in safety, comfort and output – a real win.
We had our first lift of sugar beet halfway through October and a second right at the end of the month. This is a later start than usual due to the delayed opening of the factory. Conditions were good and the machinery caused very little damage to the land, which was a relief given the impact the drought has had on the crop itself. Beet has been the worst hit by the hot, dry weather, with yields down by 40–50%.
We did manage to turn the beet land around and get the wheat planted in good conditions, which isn't always the case. We have now lifted just over half the beet and hope to get another quarter out in early November, with the intention of following it with wheat. The remainder is more likely to be destined for spring barley.
When we had a week of catchy weather mid-month, the very dry, cloddy, ploughed land gave us an outlet to keep the wheels turning. We managed to drill the winter beans and some wheat while other land wouldn't travel. The old adage of not putting all your eggs in one basket, more fashionably known these days as risk management, certainly came into its own.
Attention will soon turn to winter jobs such as hedge cutting, loading grain and machinery maintenance. I've already started shopping around for wearing metal and we've had some quotes in for replacing machinery. Prices are extortionate, but downtime can sometimes be just as costly, making for some difficult decisions. This is where having many years of experience around the boardroom table is invaluable. It's also a good opportunity to get together, reflect on the previous season, discuss what went well and what didn't, and plan for the year ahead.
Some time off is important too. With half term having just passed, I managed to squeeze in a day in London with the girls. A visit to the British Museum and a trip on the London Eye made for an ideal day away from the farm after what has been another busy month.
Oliver Pratt, October 2026