By Lindsay Brown, NFUS regional manager for Lothians and Borders

THERE is definitely a change in the weather. It is a lot cooler and the days are getting shorter.

Following an extremely busy harvest which stretched out far too long, what should have been the best of summer weather was just terrible.

It felt like the rain was never going to end and the week of thick mist was just the worst. This was just a continuation of the earlier months of the year, when it felt like it had rained non-stop.

All was saved by a few breaks in the rain and combines got going into the night to get crops harvested as fast as possible. The resulting poor year meant that yields were reduced. The straw was baled in the field, then it was time to start all over again for next year.

Fields are ploughed, sown and rolled with barley, wheat and oats for harvest in autumn next year. There are crops like potatoes and beans which may still be in the ground to be harvested this autumn.

Lindsay Brown, NFUS regional manager for Lothians and Borders. Image: Paul Watt Photography

You will also see crops of winter vegetables which can grow right through and are picked and packed for your Christmas dinner.

There are many specialised crops which are grown only over the winter months which have environmental and biodiversity benefits or can be for winter animal grazing. Kale and stubble turnips can be grazed over winter by sheep and then ploughed in the spring.

There are others which are called cover crops which provide a food source and protection for wildlife, bugs and beasties. They improve the structure of the soil and reduce the run-off of water in wet weather. They also improve the nutrients in the soil and, when they are ploughed in, they increase the organic matter and reduce the need for bagged fertiliser, so reduce the cost of growing next year’s crop.

Cattle will be coming inside to protect them from the worst of the weather, when they will be bedded using the straw baled this harvest. Some farms calve some of their herd in the autumn, so you may see some cows and calves out in the fields.

The rams, or tups as we call them, will be going out with the ewes and, in four months, three weeks and three days, they will be producing next year’s crop of lambs.

The farming calendar never stops and it is always looking forward to the coming year. Farmers are eternal optimists and so they just get on and do it all again for another year and hope it will all be a lot better. Belts will be tightened, though, which will impact the wider rural economy.

We are so lucky to have so many fabulous local farm shops who can guarantee you minimum food miles and, in the supermarket, look out for the Scotland flag on your packaging to support your local farmers as they produce the highest-quality food.

Scotland is not short of the most important thing for a good harvest, rain, although a bit less this coming year would be appreciated!