What a strange season

So much about farming is determined by the weather and other factors out of the farmer's control. I think that's a good thing, maybe not for one's bottom line, but at least for the growth of one's character!

And often things seem to go against us for a while, like what our dairyfarming neighbour Andrew has been recently experiencing - his winter forage crops had germinated nicely, but very low soil moisture had stopped them growing. He needed rain, couldn't get any for love or for money, but then the rain came, and is still coming! Now he's giggling!

But sometimes things go for us. This autumn we had no frost - many unseasonally warm nights, and wind on the cooler nights, has meant that our tomato's and zucchini and eggplant are just keeping on chugging along! We've been giggling all along. We know this won't last forever, but we can all enjoy this aberration for at least a little while longer, can't we?