A good spell of sunshine at the end of the week meant that the combine could move into the fields and cut the last of the crops, bringing Harvest 2017 to a close.
Harvest has always been the most important part of the farming calendar, being the culmination of the year’s work and financial investment. We may have the advantage
over our forefathers of advanced plant breeding, fertilisers, chemicals and farm machinery that becomes ever more technologically advanced (and expensive) but ultimately farming is still governed by the weather. Good or bad weather can make or break the crop and farmers aren’t happy until the last load is in the barn. There’s a great feeling of relief that all is safely gathered in. That the crops are in the store protected from the weather. All we need worry about now is how the political and economic situation will affect the price.
I’m pleased that unlike last year, the 2017 crop of milling wheat is good enough quality to save for making bread. This crop of Skyfall wheat, growing in Little Forest Field has been harvested …
… and cleaned, taken inside …
… put through the little wooden mill to make …
… wonderful fresh wholemeal flour …
… that’s used to make loaves of bread that taste of sunshine and harvest.
Field to plate distance approximately 200 metres.
SLAMSEYS 
Love it Anne, you know I dream of growing a little wheat to make some flour.
One day Glenda …
So glad you had a good harvest. The bread looks amazing.
Thank you.
D > That’s far too far for us! ;~) For good bread, get good wheat!
Too far? I shall have to shorten the distance next year! The quality of wheat certainly affects the bread.
Just beautiful Anne, your bread looks delicious. A job well done I would say!
Thank you Jane. It’s very satisfying making bread with home grown wheat.
So good to know that your harvest is in, Anne – and that you’ve got such quality wheat! We’ve just been away in the Highlands round Loch Lomond, and drove through damp fields of un-harvested grain as we travelled north. I felt so sorry for the farmers, That lovely bank holiday weather that you enjoyed in the south didn’t extend to where we were! Love that little video showing the milling process – what a miracle it is to get flour like that! Yummy bread 🙂
We definitely hit it just right with the weather though the rain affected the barley. I’m very glad we farm in the southern end of the country!
Wonderful homegrown wholemeal flour .. that bread looks delicious Anne! Sunshine and harvest 😃
Sunshine and harvest – a winning combination!
You can’t get any fresher that that Anne. That is a neat little mill.
It’s a great little mill though slightly noisy since my sister took it apart to show some schoolchildren how it works. It’s always very popular with children at Open Farm Sunday.