Suddenly visions of cattle grazing by day and sowing the beans after ploughing dry soil have evaporated as heavy rain swept over the east of the country.

Drains have started flowing again and winter is here. We went ahead, however, with our first intensive look at the crops and already the list of “must dos“ is growing.

The first is to control the wild oats in the one field where it has clearly got out of control.

Last year, the field was in seed wheat and while the essential control was really well achieved, the viability of wild oats ungerminated seeds is really visible this year.

After that, we will move on to control the inevitable volunteer beans that come up after every crop of beans.

With commendable honesty, the same crop wipeout in autumn-sown beans was visible in a plot at Teagasc’s tillage open day last year in Oak Park

I had been partly regretting that I hadn’t sown the beans in the excellent autumn we had until a neighbour, whom I respect as an excellent grower, informed me that he had done that but with excellent germination, the newly emerged plants had been an irresistible magnet for every crow in the area and most of the crop has to be resown.

With commendable honesty, the same crop wipeout in autumn-sown beans was visible in a plot at Teagasc’s tillage open day last year in Oak Park.

These are a really useful feature on English finishing units with large food processing plants having to dispose of waste vegetables, potatoes, pizza toppings, etc

After that, it’s on to strategically applying compound fertiliser to supply essential P and K where there is a deficit despite slurry from the cattle having been applied.

On the cattle side, we are now at maximum capacity with cattle bought in and nothing sold as yet though we hope to start selling this week.

With the increase in the price of standard grain, we have been looking to see if there are any byproducts available. These are a really useful feature on English finishing units with large food processing plants having to dispose of waste vegetables, potatoes, pizza toppings, etc.

Similar product

We used to have a quota for wet Guinness grains from the brewery in James’s Gate in Dublin many years ago, but while that is no longer available, we have now got access to a similar product from one of the new distilleries that has set up within easy lorry distance.

Given current energy costs, I assume they will not put in a dryer which would make the product more expensive.

We have now as much slurry out as we have space for, so the tanks are well under control, while the wastewater tank which we had completely emptied for agitation is now half full again.