As we move through the year from the spring with planting, the birth of lambs and calves to the summer we are now beginning our yearly ‘harvest’.

Prime lambs are now going to market and for the next few months they are at their very best, as they are milk and grass fed.

Cows and calves are also at their best out at pasture and the soft fruit crop is really good thanks to the mild winter and early spring being to its advantage. It looks like it will last a few weeks yet with raspberries now on stream.

We will soon be thinking about the crop harvest of wheat and barley for winter feed for the cattle and sheep.

Arable farmers are already harvesting some winter cereals for animal feed and for bread and beer, so it is a very busy time and ‘pay day’ for farmers after all the input expenses such as seed, fertiliser and fuel for crop management.

We are all hoping for continued good weather and good prices to make all the effort worthwhile.

The harvest from the hills is the sale of breeding sheep to lowland farmers like us to breed next year’s lambs and the wheel has turned again!

Gordon Gapstick