Mrs Down's Diary September 24 2008

Some of our neighbours who use our equipment to test the moisture of their wheat tut-tutted when John started to combine. "I'd wait a bit," one said. "The weather is bound to take up." Well it didn't '“ well not much, but fortunately the windows of opportunity that we worked in were dry.

Geoff came back to the farm to help John moving the corn and to teach him how to operate the dryer (my job next year, apparently).

Normally, at this time in September, we would be starting to work the land and get ready for drilling next year's crop. This year, however, the land is just too wet to even think about it.

When I walked the dogs yesterday evening, as we went for our daily blackberry gathering expedition, great puddles still stretched across the fields. The miracle was that our corn did not come in too wet and has not required a lot of drying.

The yield has been good as well, so with some of the corn sold forward at a reasonably strong price, the first part of the harvest payback is under way. But, and there is always a but, the merchants are talking the price down and today corn stands at only just over 100 a ton.

Quite a drop from last year. That won't stop everyone saying the price of bread is too high, however, because the price of wheat has risen. Or later seeing the price of bread drop in line with a reduction in the corn price.

If wheat prices continue to drop and if it is going to be too difficult to get on the land, despite the abandonment of set-as-side, it may mean that some farmers do not consider it economically worth while to drill wheat. They may let their land lie fallow and just collect the subsidy. Or as a friend said: "There'll be a lot of beans and rape going in."

That could see us back again to a wheat shortage.

We operate in a world market now and last year prices were up because American crops were going for fuel and there were droughts in Australia. If only we had a crystal ball.

n As mentioned the dogs and I are out every night on a mission to get scratched, stung and prickled while brambling. The blackberries are luscious this year and I eat as many as I put in my basket.

We do not take Bud the Jack Russell with us every night as he has not been too well recently. He has difficulty breathing in the muggy weather conditions and has developed severe water retention problems.

We have the medication to help him with his breathing, heart and water problems, but trying to get him to take the assorted tablets and capsules is another issue. However ill he feels he keeps those wicked teeth firmly clamped and is adept at spitting out anything I try to force between his jaws.

When he feels better I can tempt him with choice bits of meat that hide his medication, but often he will not eat at all. Then I have to crush everything into a butter ball and try to get him to lick it off my fingers. What a going on.