The wheat at the back of our home was still standing yesterday, one of a few adjacent fields still to be harvested, no doubt delayed by recent rain. Damp cereals cannot be harvested, at least not without a long and expensive drying process, and so a farmer must take advantage of windows of opportunity in terms of the weather to combine the crop. Where contractors are used they may be committed to another farm when the weather is suitable for harvesting, hence sometimes a crop will still be standing when surrounding fields are stubble.
Yesterday evening we drove up the road that ascends the side of Croft Hill to our Lane, and I commented on what seemed to be smoke drifting across in front of us. It was clouds of dust blowing over the hedge. The combine harvester was at work – “our” fields were being harvested at last.
