The Farming Year
Every single day of the year British farmers are busy. There are always jobs to be done on the farm, whether it is tending to crops, looking after livestock or carrying out farm maintenance. British farmers provide us with seasonal food all year round!
Spring In Spring you will commonly find UK farmers planting spring sown crops and looking after them. Many crops will need to be sprayed with fertilisers to help them grow or with plant protection products to ward off pests and weeds. Some farmer use beneficial insects to combat pests. Springtime also is the time of year where farmers will be lambing or calving.
Summer Summertime is very busy for farmers, sheep need shearing to make sure they are comfortable and don’t overheat, the soft fruit harvest begins and wheat is harvested. Farmers will also be silage and haymaking at this time of year. As the weather is warmer in summer, farmers might need to irrigate their crops.
Autumn In Autumn the top fruit harvest starts (apples pears, plums etc.), and potatoes and sugar beet are harvested too. Livestock is often brought indoors toward the end of Autumn ready for the winter.
Winter Some crops like cauliflower, swede and sprouts are harvested in winter. Winter is an important time for farmers to complete any maintenance work on farm and to prepare for spring.
A Year In Farming – Resource from Countryside Classroom, LEAF Education