Brett Vale Farming Diary - June 2026
June started with some long-awaited rain, which was very welcome. It arrived just in time to help the wheat crops as the grain began to fill. We also saw sugar beet emerging in the gaps where seed had been sitting in dry soil since planting at the end of March. After months of waiting, the rainfall finally provided enough moisture for it to germinate.
The rain also softened the ground, allowing us to establish environmental areas and new grass margins on a farm that was new to us last autumn. These areas provide vital habitats and food sources for a wide range of wildlife. It was especially encouraging to see a pair of wild grey partridges enjoying one of the pollen and nectar areas that we established five years ago.
Grass margins around our fields are equally important. They act as wildlife corridors while also helping to protect watercourses from spray drift and soil erosion. Each year we cut the strip immediately alongside the crop but leave the section next to the hedge untouched, allowing wildflowers to flourish. While walking one of these margins, I spotted a beautiful pyramid orchid. We are seeing more of these appear each year, which is a great reminder that modern farming and wildlife conservation can work hand in hand.
June also marks the start of our farm tours, which we offer to local parishes and community groups. These are an important part of what we do, helping to maintain positive relationships with our neighbours and giving people a chance to see first-hand how their food is produced. The trailers are always oversubscribed, with around 250 people joining us this year. It is fantastic to see the level of interest.
We always try to time one of the tours to coincide with the ringing of our barn owl chicks. We now have more than 30 nest boxes across the farm, and this spring four of them successfully produced a total of 15 chicks. After last year's disappointing season, when we had no successful nests, this has been a wonderful result.
It feels as though we didn't do a great deal of 'farming' during June, but it is always nice to have a brief pause before the intensity of harvest begins. Harvest is looking likely to start in early July.
Alongside cleaning the last of the grain stores, we also spent time in the workshop preparing the trailers. Every year we remove the wheels and hubs to inspect them thoroughly, adjusting or replacing the brakes where necessary. The trailers work incredibly hard throughout harvest, and we never take their roadworthiness for granted.
I imagine my July diary will be full of harvesting and cultivation updates—hopefully accompanied by plenty of sunshine.
Oliver Pratt, June 2026
