What incredible weather we have had for the past two months. It’s been a while since we had an autumn as good as this, but I do remember 2018 being similarly pleasant and, strangely, it too had a named storm in the middle of October (Callum).

There’s nothing nicer than a good autumn, and it’s been terrific for fieldwork and the head and everything else.

Sown crops have emerged in two weeks which is quick, and the fields are a picture. I’ve never seen oilseed rape establish as well and I’m glad we didn’t sow any earlier than 24 August, as it would be too strong going into the winter.

One hopes this mild, dry and calm weather hasn’t led to a population explosion in BYDV-carrying winged aphids.

Like everyone else, all our work is up-to-date, and that includes spraying and the most laborious of tasks: stone picking. Yes, we did some rolling which is great if you can, without consequences, especially following min-till as the tined Sprinter seeder invariably brings up stones.

Alternatively, after the plough and one-pass, there are very few stones ever left on the surface. I estimate we’d pick a large dump trailer load of stones most years which has greatly reduced the big (batch loaf size) stone burden. They’re stockpiled for future projects.

But lest we get too complacent, we’ve been here before and such weather doesn’t necessarily guarantee a big harvest next year. However, it does leave crops well placed for a full harvest if there’s a good season in 2025. There’s not a lot of stubbles left in Meath, and land for next year’s potatoes will be scarce.

It’s also been great for the cattle outside. Yes, the grass is gone but you could play golf in the firm and unmarked fields.

Cattle gallop up to the troughs with the sound effects of a steer roundup in a Texan western (and I could do with a lasso for the odd crazy outlier). They’ll be housed shortly, as it would be a pity to poach the fields now.

Agricultural machinery revolution

Driving around the countryside, particularly over the past five years, it continually strikes me how much agriculture has progressed. Farming has a lot of knockers now who would wish most of the country to be organic and the rest rewilded.

I respect individual organic farmers but it’s niche and exclusive food, and fine if that’s what tickles your fancy as a consumer. But it will never be mainstream.

The world would starve in a week if policy dictated the widespread implementation of organic food production.

Anyhow, I’m relieved to say that I think mainstream Irish agriculture is progressing at a rate of knots and in the other direction.

One has only to look at the sheer size of farm machinery on the roads and in the fields and the manner in which farms have developed.

Irish farmers must be world class when it comes to adopting new machinery developments. Contractors have massive gear now to serve the dairy farmers, who mercifully – and I’m generalising – stick to a Massey, a monkey wrench and a Manitou.

Huge Claas Jaguars prowl the countryside and there’s tri-axle slurry tankers and umbilical systems to meet their needs and beat the weather and forever shortening deadlines.

And the tillage sector is very far from dead. In fact, progress is unrelentless. Mega combines with chaser bins and folding one-passes abound, allied to 6,000l sprayers and booms with a Boeing wingspan.

While I greatly respect smaller farmers (probably more than I do the titans), I’m excited by this revolution in new, bigger and better farm machinery. It’s real progress and I love it – maybe all the good weather has gone to my head.