In a blur - cutting against the clock. our little blue tractor whizzes around Out Across
This is a first. Never ever in the years I’ve been farming have we topped fields in January! Yes, I’ve experienced cold spells before, though these have generally been accompanied by snow or wetness of some sort and very often wind. Never before has the ground gone rock hard, hard enough to drive a tractor over without marking it. And, of course, we haven’t actually needed to top in the depths of winter as this has been done and dusted during spring, summer and autumn.
This week meadows we’ve been unable to touch for almost two years have, in the last couple of days of sub zero temperatures (and lack of precipitation since before Christmas), become frozen enough for us to cut. We’re hoping for a permanent freezing death of the rush – yes, forever dreaming, forever hopeful.
topping Out Across on 7 january 2009. A first!
We have only a small window of opportunity. The thaw is expected and we’re trying to top around ten fields and bits of others. It was -5C when I took this photo, during the night and early morning of the 7th January the temperature dropped to -8C.
Mosaic topping of Five Corners
This is Five Corners, one of my favourite fields, secret and unexpected, bursting with wildlife and a hunting haunt of our barn owls. We top this pasture in a mosaic so as to leave cover for the owls’ prey and other wildlife.
topping, topping, topping, topping!
6 comments
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January 10, 2009 at 10:03 am
Lindsay
Our neighbouring farmer has been out and about with the tractor hedging like mad. She told us the other day she got stuck on the frozen soil – the sun had come out and caused the frost to turn to slippery ice – the tractor wheels could not grip!
January 10, 2009 at 7:45 pm
brian in the tamar valley
Nice to hear that you have barn owls and that you are leaving a good habitat for them in ‘Five Corners’.
January 11, 2009 at 5:51 pm
paula
I’m surprised more farmers around here haven’t been taking advantage of the weather – though I think many did at the start of the cold, dry spell…our ground was still too wet and only drivable over after the night of the -8C. Of course it’s all gone now, though I believe there a glimmer of sun/dryness after Monday.
January 11, 2009 at 6:00 pm
paula
Hello there brian in the tamar valley – thanks for dropping by and commenting.
We are worried about the decline of the barn owls in our locality following the last two wet years. Fingers crossed they manage to get a better foothold this year.
January 12, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Maggie
Hello Paula – interesting to read yours. We also got some cutting done – the field in front of our lodges that should have been cut in the summer. As soon as it stops raining I’ll be going out there with some yellow rattle seed, hoping it will still take even though it should have been planted in autumn. Needs winter temperatures apparently, so as long as there’s a bit of that left…
We also tried swaling a bit of our culm grassland, but even at the end of the cold snap it was too wet and wouldn’t catch. A pity as it needed doing, that section not having been grazed for some time now. Oh well – I guess we cross fingers for dry and breezier days, but that might be asking too much.
Interesting to see your mosaic pattern of cutting – I think we’ll adopt that in another of our fields that needs a ‘management plan’.
Will have to take you up on that offer to come and visit some time if it still stands – maybe in the spring?
Maggie at Wheatland Farm
January 12, 2009 at 10:54 pm
paula
It was so wonderful maggie, I never wanted it to end! Sadly back to thigh-high mud once more.
I find that rattle is very independent – sometimes we have fields of it and then it disappears for a couple of years returning in such force that it smothers everything else. It’s meant to be linked to sheep grazing, though I can’t say I see any special correlation – maybe more to do with the depth/length of a cold snap as you mention.
Weirdly you can see our mosaic stand out on google earth and it looks very strange! Pity about your burning – but yes I can understand, everything is so sodden. We were looking at some old photos the other day and were shocked by the dry, summery look of the place!
Of course you’re welcome – look forward to it.