Our mystery farmer in the Wymondham area takes a break from drafting his year end stock valuations to tell you what he’s been up to in the last month.

Da Beets

The first lot of sugar beet have been lifted in dry weather conditions, good news for sugar lovers, local road users and farmers alike. The sugar content of the sugar beet was high, at 17%, with growers elsewhere reporting sugars as high as 20%. Yields have also been good, particularly given how dry the summer has been. The income from the sugar beet that has gone into the factory will help begin repaying the money spent on seed and fertiliser, and the land that grew it has already been sown with late sown winter wheat using our new direct drill – something we wouldn’t have been able to use had the weather been too wet.

Pennies from heaven

I write this confined to my quarters (or my workshop, at least) as rain falls steadily outside. Our first lift of sugar beet was unseasonably dry and this sustained rainfall should help replenish our dry soils and watercourses. The soil moisture deficit, the Environment Agency’s measure of the difference between the soil’s full water capacity and its current state, is currently >100mm in South Norfolk, the East of England being the driest part of the UK and the UK as a whole experiencing the driest year since 1976. The rain will help the winter drilled crops grow, improve the soil’s health and help our wildlife, flora and fauna. It probably won’t help our sugar beet harvesting contractor, although he’ll secretly be grateful for a day or two off.

First drive

I’m looking forward to my first shoot of the year next week. Shooting is an important part of the farming social calendar (and indeed wider social calendars, shooting being as much a pastime for tradesmen and professionals, men and women, as us bumpkins now), providing an opportunity for friends and neighbours to come together and socialise, network and relax after the long hours of harvest and autumn drilling. I enjoy taking the birds I have shot home, plucking and dressing them and enjoying a pheasant curry, hoisin duck and partridge ragu as well as the more traditional game stews and pies. Game meat is some of the most flavoursome and sustainably sourced meat available, yet it remains unfashionable with most butchers and game dealers struggling to sell it. Beaters, the volunteers who put the birds up out of woodland and field cover for “the guns” to shoot, are a mix of farmers, farm workers, agronomists, machinery engineers, tradesmen and retirees who enjoy the exercise and camaraderie of walking across some beautiful landscapes, with a typical day involving 20,000 steps through woods, ditches, brambles and ploughed fields. I enjoy beating as much as shooting. Dogs and hot, rich food are a big part of the day, with game stews, soups and sausage rolls enjoyed by human and dog alike.

Pagan rituals

Halloween and bonfire night afford opportunity for the family to indulge in antics of varying levels of responsibility. My eldest was self-conscious being dropped off at her friend’s zombie cheerleader party, seemingly thinking that every passer by might have the visual acuity and level of interest to spot that her face and arms were covered in fake blood and gory scab transfers. We dug out some old furniture and pallets for our bonfire, using the chairs for seating until the end of the evening before burning them on the fire. An effigy that my children named Gerald was assembled in record time from a curtain pole and old newspapers. A couple of fireworks, some sparklers and a battery powered karaoke machine added some light and sound for children and adults alike. Fizzy drinks, beer and pizza provided sustenance. I’m still not certain what do with the catherine wheel on my fence that didn’t light up but remains nailed in place.