Seasons on the Farm: Autumn Equinox

The 23^rd September marks the Autumn Equinox, when day and night are of equal length. It’s a natural turning point in the seasons, as we leave behind the long hot summer and head into cooler mornings and shorter days.  For us on the farm, it’s a chance to take stock and draw breath just for a moment.

Harvest 2025

Harvest is always a test of nerves, patience and stamina, and this year was no different but it has been compounded with the hot and dry early part of summer. Yields, as expected, were a little disappointing, which is never easy after so much planning, effort and nurturing, but the team worked incredibly hard to get the job done. Long hours in the cab, quick turnarounds in the yard and an eye always on the weather forecast meant that the grain came in safely.  Thank goodness for the modern air-conditioned cabs!

Group photo (left to right): The Harvest Team: Olly, Will, Rob, James, Nick, Austin and Rob

 (Photo Credit and thanks to Olly Pratt, Farm Manager)

The figures might not look as good as other years, but the way our workers handled the challenges deserves a big thank you to everyone involved.  Their teamwork, expertise and good humour carried them through.  Farming is always about playing the hand the season deals you and this year our farm team have done that with grit and determination.

Crop Competition

This year's harvest was rounded off with a bonus. The South Suffolk Agricultural Association have been running a crop competition for Suffolk farmers since 1953. From over 30 farms entering this year, our Brett Vale Farming Company took more than their fair share of the prizes, including the Supreme Challenge Cup for farms over 700 acres:

• Class 1, Sugar Beet 5–25 Acres: 5th

• Class 2, Sugar Beet Over 25 Acres: 1st

• Class 4, Dried Peas 5 Acres & Over: 1st

• Class 5, Biscuit & Feed Wheat 5–25 Acres: 4th

• Class 6, Biscuit & Feed Wheat 25–40 Acres: 2nd

• Class 14, Feed Winter Barley 5–25 Acres: 2nd

• Class 15, Feed Winter Barley Over 25 Acres: 3rd

• Class 16, Winter Beans: 5th

• Class 19, Winter Oilseed Rape 5 Acres & Over: 3rd

• Supreme Challenge Cup (A. Covey, Over 700 Acres): 1st

(Photo credit and cheek view: Olly Pratt, Farm Manager)

We're very proud of the farming team for what they've achieved this summer.

Cultivation and Reseeding

Before the last trailer load was tipped into the grain stores, thoughts had already turned to next year. Cultivation and reseeding are already well underway.  It’s another busy time for the farm, and not always the most popular with the neighbours, because it involves muck spreading. We know it’s smelly - there’s no hiding from that and we apologise for the annoyance - but it’s an essential part of the cycle.  By recycling waste materials and returning nutrients to the soil, we’re reducing chemical inputs but still giving next year’s crops the best possible start.  The smell will dissipate within a few hours of the waste being turned into the soil.

Farming never really stops.  It just rolls from one season to the next. The dust of this harvest had barely settled before we were laying the foundations for next year’s harvest.

Farm Tours

One of the highlights of the summer was welcoming more than 250 local people to the farm across June and July.  Getting out in the tractor and trailer to show what we’ve been doing over the last few years is something we always enjoy and the response was fantastic. Visitors were curious about the tree planting, pond restoration, crops, green manure, and the wildlife projects we’re working on. The questions kept us on our toes! 

It was great to see so much interest in what’s involved in running a modern arable farm. Too often the work happens behind the scenes, so having the chance to explain and share it felt important.  We’re already thinking ahead to next year’s Summer Farm Tours.

Raydon Wood Walk

Not quite farm related, but still involves the care of our estate, was another event that stood out this year. We hosted a walk in Raydon Great Wood in July. We were over-booked and had a waiting list of people hoping to join. The wood was at its summer best, full of life, birdsong and dappled light, and it was a pleasure to share it with such an enthusiastic group. 

The interest was so strong that we’re planning another walk in the Spring. We’ll confirm the date nearer the time, but it’s definitely one to watch out for if you missed out this year. Thank you to the woodsmen, Graham and Steve, who hosted the walk and shared their expertise.  Woods don’t grow healthy by themselves. 

Please note that Raydon Great Wood is not open to the public at other times. Access is only by special permission.

Looking Ahead

Farming faces many challenges.  Input costs such as fuel, fertiliser and machinery are rising faster than inflation. At the same time, crop prices haven’t always kept pace, with global competition and supermarket pressures squeezing farm incomes. Add in the long, unsocial hours, labour shortages at key times and the risks from weather and pests, and it’s easy to see why modern farming is as much about resilience as it is about growing food.

At the end of the day, all our planning is done with one eye on leaving the farm in good shape for future generations.