OVER the last week, apart from an occasional damping, the weather has continued to give us cloud, wind and sun, the last two days being quite warm, with breezes mainly from a northerly direction. Many farmers, including ourselves, are busy doing field work whenever the opportunity arises.

Kevin has been using the combine harvester on Stowell Farm for most of the week, gathering all the oilseed rape and winter barley, which are being stored on their farm for the time being. Harry, the local farmer who has, in recent years, planted oilseed rape on two of our fields, has also finished harvesting his crop. Following this he baled the rape straw into large bales before taking it back to his own farm. Richard and Ian thought the remaining stubble was too long, so have borrowed a topper to cut and break it up. Now the field is ready to be cultivated.We have also finished harvesting all our winter barley, which has now been sold, as has the remaining straw, bought by a neighbour who will bale and remove it. Hopefully, our winter wheat will soon be ready to harvest.

Oilseed rape (OSR) is grown for its oil and is easily recognised by its bright yellow flowers. It has been cultivated throughout the world for several thousand years, but it was not until the 13th century that it was grown on a commercial scale for use as lamp oil. In 1740 it was noted that it played a useful role in aiding the performance of following crops.

This role of OSR is still vital today, helping to improve the yields of following cereal crops and it is known as a "break crop", along with potatoes, sugar beet, grass leys, peas and beans.

These "break crops" allow insect and fungal pests to die out between cereal crops, which is why we are happy for Harry to grow OSR in two different fields each year. OSR is not very high yielding in comparison with cereals being about three tonnes per hectare. Today varieties have been bred to provide oil suitable for cooking and food processing, also for bio-diesel, but global prices have been in decline for most of this season so far, as world production is forecast to hit a new record.

Recently, Richard and I spent a day with Adele and her family in Devon. At the moment many of the milking cows are on their summer holiday, with one or two due to give birth any day, so milking is not taking very long with fewer cows, but as the calves arrive the workload will increase.

The dry cows, however, have to be checked several times a day, to ensure that they are well and to see if any are in labour. Whilst at Chuggaton Farm we were introduced to "Granny Doris" – as she is affectionately known.

"Granny Doris" is the oldest cow in the herd, born on October 11, 1999. She was born here on Manor Farm, bought from us as an in -calf heifer when Adele and Steve restocked, following the slaughter of their herd in the 2001 foot and mouth epidemic. She is in her 13th lactation, with an average butterfat of 4.06 per cent and 3.51 per cent protein,with a lifetime milk yield of 92,650kg.

Doris is due to give birth again in January, next year, her 14th birth. Last year she had heifer twins and has another three daughters in the herd. At the grand old age of 15 years, Richard and I thought she looked in fine fettle, although just a little grey!

I have spent four days over the last week instructing a group of young children at the Beaufort Hunt Mini Pony Club Camp. It was held on a farm in Tresham, South Gloucestershire, which sits on the edge of the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. One session fitted into the timetable was to take your group on a hack around part of the farm, riding alongside field margins thick with wild flowers, whilst admiring stunning views across the ripening cereals was an uplifting experience.