Blankney Farm Update – 21 April 2023

A frustrating April to date – the spring seems to be a reluctant collaborator!

Cold nights and no more than three days without significant rainfall, has held up our field operations. Earlier established crops have not had the opportunity to enjoy, as young plants, ‘wet feet’ – and have grown slowly. Warmer, drier weather is needed and this last week has seen some hope.

Our beet crop is 77% drilled and spring barley is at 70% drilled. Give us another three good days and we will have all of our spring cropping established – this will leave us with our next task, to plant 2,300 acres of forage maize for bio-gas production (climate friendly bio-gas to help keep Lincoln warm next winter!).

In other news, we have been busy these last two weeks – voluntarily at our Farm’s cost – rubbish picking on our roadside fields, covering the A15 highway, the B1188, Bloxholm Lane and Metheringham Heath Lane. We have filled three large skips full of litter!

Rubbish causes significant quality related issues in our processing plants and leads to food waste, which is not good for any of us, or the environment.

Littering is totally unacceptable in a responsible society and we hope we can continue to rely on our followers and local community to help us combat this!