Harvest is now in full swing across our three counties. Like many of you, while not at my desk working on behalf of members, I am sat on a loader or tractor getting in hay and straw! The June heatwave and now what appears to be a prolonged warm and dry spell means it has been a warm start to the summer.
We have sadly already seen several fires cropping up across the patch, so please do stay vigilant and take extra care when cleaning down machines or when working in flinty fields.
Health and safety has been a key agenda item for the last month. Alongside work I have done with HQ on trailer safety, that you may have seen on social media, we have hosted our online and in person BBO health and safety meetings which have included speakers from SSE, Thrings, fire and rescue services and NFU health and safety teams.
We are just finalising the date for our 2027 event at Kubota in Thame, so you can get this in your diaries early on. Even if you come away with one nugget of information, new overhead powerline stickers for your machines, or a reminder of something that has gone wrong before and how you have worked to rectify it, then it is time well spent. As our campaign says: take 5 to stay alive.
I also attended the NFU Hungerford vs Carter Jonas Cricket Match which, due to a large storm, was declared to be a draw. We are still looking at how we can stage a cricket tournament in BBO, to revive a local NFU tradition which runs back to before the First World War. More details will be revealed as harvest comes to an end, but if you are keen to join a local branch team, please do reach out.
While not BBO, it was in BBO
Last week, in my role of secretary for the South Combinable Crops board, I brought them to Oxfordshire! We visited Matthews Flour Mill and FarmEd in West Oxfordshire for the day. While the tours of both were interesting, comparisons of margins and operation size with farms further into the South West gave the board a different perspective on the growth of regenerative farming in Oxfordshire and how varied the region is in conventional cereals.
And finally…
At this years Bucks County Show we have Tom Bradshaw joining us for the day with several MP roundtables planned, so please do keep an eye out for the invite to what should be a varied and interesting day on our two stands.
While on the topic of MPs, if you are keen to have your local MP out on farm, and not sure where to start, then do reach out to myself or your local group secretary and we can work with you to get your local MP to come and see how your farming operation looks and the challenges you are facing.