Brett Vale Farming Diary - December 2025
Two of the farm team started the month by completing their level 3 award in First Aid at Work. Well done to James and Will! Health & Safety in the workplace is something we take very seriously here at BVFC, and this is just one of the many measures we go to. We also had our annual fire extinguisher service and carried out an in-house audit of the many first aid kits in vehicles and farm buildings.
On the same day I went to our neighbours. They hosted an agronomy meeting organised by the Hadleigh Farmers Agricultural Association. We meet a few times during the year, and it is a welcome chance to catch up with local farmers over a bacon roll. We have a look at some of the host’s crops, which creates discussion around how we all do things slightly differently – it’s always nice to pick up a few ideas.
The workshop has been full of machinery, as has the wash bay. After a busy summer and autumn, it is important to get implements cleaned, repaired, and greased up ready for next year. This then allows for a stocktake of spare and wearing parts, and I can re-order, hopefully making the most of the out of season deals.
The winter has, so far, been reasonably dry and the land drains have hardly run but this doesn’t mean that this will continue. It is very important to make sure the drain outfalls are clear and this can mean digging out the ditches as over time they fill with silt. We try and carry out some ditching each winter to keep on top of this. To the left is a picture of drain which shows how far under the surface it had become! By digging a large ditch with shallow banks it extends the life, meaning we hopefully won’t have to do them again for a long time.
The winter months are a good time for us to cut our roadside hedges, of which we have many miles! Apologies if this holds you up but we need to get around them before the end of February deadline and the start of the nesting season. If you see us around, please be patient. Hopefully, we are improving the visibility, making the roads a safer place for everyone.
In the summer we entered our crops into the South Suffolk Crop Competition. This is a great event, and it was good to meet the judges and stewards. We were very grateful to receive first prize for our Peas and Sugar Beet crops, as well as quite a few placings in other categories. This cumulated in us winning the Supreme Challenge Cup in the large farms category. George Westwood, Heathpatch CEO, my dad, Martin Pratt, and I enjoyed a drink, a meal and a catch up with plenty of familiar faces at the presentation evening. We look forward to hosting the traditional farm walk for the club in 2026.
Oliver Pratt, BVFC Director & Farm Manager (left)
and George Westwood, Heathpatch CEO
We have now returned to work, well fed and watered, after a much-earned Christmas break and ready to see what 2026 brings. We still have some Sugar Beet to lift, there is training required on our new drill and some exciting new machinery arrivals to come. Most of all I’m looking forward to spring arriving and seeing the countryside burst into life. Keep following for our monthly updates.
Oliver Pratt, December 2025
Photo Credit: Oliver Pratt