Harvesting benefits of positive attitude

Few industries are so dependent on the weather as farming. Not even tourism is so much at the mercy of the elements.

If harvest is the end of the farming calendar, then this summer marks the culmination of yet another challenging season – although the weather has been different again this year.

With combine harvesters rolling into barley crops during the last week of June, it is likely to be another memorable summer – but not necessarily for all the right reasons.

Hot weather and sunshine have been coupled with lack of rain during the crucial grain-fill period – with crops dying off before being able to meet their full potential.

Drought yields indeed and an unwanted example of growers doing everything right for months on end only to be thwarted by matters out of our hands at the last moment.

Positive mood

Despite all of this – and the raft of other challenges facing the  industry – the mood has been positive at many farming events in the run-up to harvest.

Perhaps it is genuine optimism for a better future. Perhaps it is a steely determination to see the bad times through  until better times ahead. Perhaps it is a mixture of both.

A positive attitude certainly doesn’t mean our optimism is misplaced – and it can be infectious. As an industry, we have a big job on our hands at the moment to get our message across – and there is no time better than harvest when farming is at its most visible to the wider public.

Last month saw one of the most successful Open Farm Sunday events ever, w ith an estimated 200,000 people visiting a nearby farm to see how food is produced and learn more about how farmers look after the countryside.

Harvest message

The NFU’s #YourHarvest campaign is an opportunity to continue that public dialogue via social media at a time when many of us are confined to the tractor or combine cab.

Growers are being asked to share photos and videos as harvest progresses – showing  farmers feeding the nation. MPs are  being invited to visit farms too – to see harvest for themselves.

As we continue to battle against inheritance tax and the closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive, winning hearts and minds is vital. Now, that would be a harvest worth celebrating.

Johann Tasker

Editor