Brett Vale Farming Diary - July 2026
Even as I’m writing this, it’s hard to believe it – we’ve finished harvest in July! I’m fairly certain this is a first for us. We’ve comfortably beaten last year’s finish date of 12th August, which at the time was considered exceptionally early.
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That's the good news.
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Unfortunately, the crops have mostly been disappointing because of the drought. Grain quality has been very good, but average yields are around 15–20% down. Thankfully, the settled weather continued throughout harvest, allowing us to make the most of every day with earlier-than-usual starts and long hours in the field.
Grain moistures were, at times, the driest we have ever recorded. While this contributed to some reduction in weight, it also meant we didn’t have to use the grain drier at all. That’s a significant saving, especially with diesel prices climbing once again.
We began harvest in early July with the winter barley. This gave me the chance to spend a couple of days back in the driver's seat of the combine while Rob was on holiday. Although yields were below expectations, it was probably the least disappointing of an otherwise disappointing set of crops.
A few days later we harvested our small area of oilseed rape, which was by far the crop of the year. It’s just a shame we didn’t have more of it.
From there we moved straight on to the winter beans. The fact they were ready in the second week of July rather than their usual late August harvest tells its own story. They had looked so promising throughout the season, making the final result all the more disappointing.
Wheat soon followed, and after 14 consecutive days of combining we wrapped it up. The days were long, and our daily harvesting record seemed to be broken almost every day.
Yields varied enormously, but there were certainly some fields that stood out as performing exceptionally well – more on that later.
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Spring barley was the final crop to come off and, unfortunately, it was also the poorest. With only 50 mm of rain falling since planting, most of it arriving after the crop had already come into ear, it’s hardly surprising that yields suffered.
Harvest also brought some familiar faces back to Dairy Farm, with Nick and Austin joining us once again to help with cultivations and grain carting. We’ve had a good run, worked hard, and enjoyed some great feeds along the way.
The Harvest Team, L to R: Rob C, Austin, Will, James, Martin, Rob D and Oliver
Yes, cultivations have already started – and yes, the ground is hard!
The dry conditions are wearing metal much faster than we’d like, but I’m too nervous to wait for rain before getting going. Who knows when it will arrive, or how little time that would leave us to prepare for drilling? Slow and steady is the approach for now.
The upside is that August should be a little more relaxed than usual. My wife and daughter, who both celebrate birthdays in the middle of the month, are certainly pleased to hear that.
So why did some wheat fields perform so well while others disappointed?
The biggest factor I can identify is the application of organic manures the previous autumn. These provide valuable natural nutrients as well as organic matter, giving crops a boost while improving the soil’s ability to retain moisture. In a year like this, that extra resilience has made a real difference.
We’ve just started spreading this year’s allocation of sewage sludge— yes, exactly what you think it is!
Here’s James incorporating it into the soil.
Normally I’d apologise for the smell, but this year I’m not going to. Instead, I’ll simply say this: while you keep producing it, we’ll keep spreading it! It’s hard to think of a better use for what would otherwise be a waste product than returning nutrients to the soil and helping produce the food we all rely on.
With poultry litter and cattle muck still to spread, I’m afraid the countryside may be a little fragrant for a while yet!
Oliver Pratt, July 2026
