We needed some rain but now we have had too much, typical!
We were progressing nicely with drilling next year's crops but the brakes have been well and truly applied. If we start planting too early in September we run the risk of more disease and weed pressure and ultimately expensive treatments that we would rather not do for environmental reasons. The flip side is delaying drilling until October but we then run the gauntlet of the wonderful British weather and shorter daylight which can be incredibly stressful and potentially leave us in a position like last year when we were unable to finish planting and had to put spring crops in instead of winter crops.
Our schools are now back full time and the attendance is very good. The only problem is trying to feed all of the children in the dining hall or their classrooms whilst they maintain their bubbles. Everything is taking longer and, as you can imagine, it is chaotic at best. Maybe one day we will look back on 2020 and realise that anything is possible if you try hard enough.
We are now taking turkey orders for Christmas, I know it is still early October, and we have had a really good uptake already so please get your orders in quickly before Peter at the Tasty Turkey Company sells out. We are putting together some ideas for additional products that you may be interested in as well as stocking up on the essentials such as cranberry sauce etc.
On a personal note it has been an absolute delight to finally meet some of our customers. We have been a little stretched recently, hence me being allowed out in one of the delivery vans. I have been office bound for much of the pandemic trying to organise everything but it was so nice to put some faces to names. It was a pleasure to engage directly with so many people and it it is something that not many businesses have the opportunity to do.
Gary
