Seed orders: Make sure to look through the recommended lists for cereals and beans and pick out varieties that suit your system. If you can grow a few different varieties it will help to spread risk and workload.

For example, growing an early- and a later-maturing variety can spread workload at harvest. Some people will have to grow a certain variety to suit the grain buyer, like for malting barley.

Some of these varieties are on the lower end of the scale for quality characteristics so you should try and push for better varieties as your yield and pass rate may be affected.

It is important to get seed orders in early to get the variety that you prefer as some will be in low supply. Beans seed should be ordered as soon as possible as it will probably be the first crop to be sown and seed may be tight later in the season if more people decide to plant than estimated.

Stubbles: Any land that was not cultivated after harvest can be cultivated or sprayed from 1 February. Although land is now extremely wet in most places after heavy rain in the past week, so is not suitable for either job.

Storm: Storm Éowyn did damage across the country. It may have turned over some trees on your farm. The wet weather might give time to get these trees cut and moved although ground may need to dry out first. If there was any damage to buildings or machinery in the storm take care mending them and put safety first. Get a professional where needed. Make sure that you have enquired about insurance.

Slurry: There has been a lot of slurry spread in recent weeks and there is more to be spread. If you are taking in slurry from another farm make sure land is in a suitable condition to do so.

It is essential that you take delivery of that slurry and get the benefit of it as it will be included on your nutrient management plan. New rules mean that slurry exports have to be reported within four days of the export happening. The Department of Agriculture then informs the local authority within one working day and they can inspect the land to check that the slurry has been exported. These rules are in place to stop paper transfers of slurry from happening and ultimately to protect water quality. It is essential that these rules are followed to avoid penalties.

CAO: Some of you will have children filling out their college application forms in the coming weeks. Agriculture is a varied course for someone who isn’t sure what they want to work at after college.

Many people who study agriculture go on to work not only in the sector, but also in other businesses like banks, insurance, communications, sales and many more areas. There is currently a shortage of agronomists across the country and as more rules come in on pesticides it looks like there will be further opportunities. It might be worth considering when filling out that form.