UK Agriculture four seasons
Month - February
February
While hygiene and cleanliness in the milking parlour are critical throughout the year, they are of particular importance during the winter months when dairy herds have to be housed indoors. Thorough washing of the parlour consumes a lot of water and the resultant slurry has to be safely stored until it can be spread back onto the fields as a manure, often many months later.
February
Beef cattle are nearly always housed in large open barns that are bedded with plenty of straw. Barley straw is usually preferred. It is easier to bale and transport than wheat straw which tends to be brittle and dusty. Barley straw is also quite palatable and reasonably nutritious to cattle who will eat some of the straw every time the barn is freshly bedded. At the end of the winter the straw will be removed from the shed and stored until it has fully rotted at which point it will be spread back on arable fields as a farm yard manure.
February
In the winter months outdoor pig herds will get an improved ration (to account for the cold) and extra bedding to ensure plenty of warmth for young piglets. Pigs are pretty tough animals and sows will continue to enjoy rooting around whatever the weather.
February
Some flocks may start early lambing in January and February. These may lamb completely inside, alternatively the ewe and lamb may be brought into shelter immediately after birth. As grass growth can be limited by cold weather, early lambing is something that tends to be undertaken only by specialist lowland flocks that have supplementary feeding available. The purpose of early lambing is to supply fresh lamb to the Easter market when prices are traditionally high.
February
Cereal grains have to be stored for use as required and these grain silos are keeping wheat dry and free from pests so that bread can be produced fresh, year round.
The purpose of agriculture is to provide planned food utilisation to dependant societies, however it is the storage of produce that makes this possible. Without storage, civilisation as we now appreciate it could never have developed.
February
Winter doesn't have to be cold! Mild weather has encouraged this winter wheat plant to tiller vigorously. The same conditions will also be encouraging grass growth in livestock enterprises which in Southern and Western areas may by the end of February, benefit from a light dose of fertiliser. Early fertiliser application to a grass crop will only make sense if there has been an accumulation of warmth in the soil over a longer period of time - technically known as the T sum; the data is published in the farming press.
February
Ploughing ground for spring cereal crops normally takes place in quiet spells over the winter months. Ground that is ploughed early, for example in December, has a longer period to overwinter with frosts breaking down soil clods and reducing the need for further mechanical cultivation. However early ploughing is not always possible, perhaps due to wet conditions, and so by the end of February ploughing for spring sown cereals will have become a necessity. Land that is ploughed at this time of year is almost always followed immediately by drilling so that the worked soil cannot become saturated and undrillable, should conditions turn wet.
February
As soon as conditions are dry enough, spring barley drilling will commence. Spring sown crops are prone to summer drought and so the key to a good yield is to ensure successful establishment as early as possible in the year. Farmers face a compromise over this. Drilling too early results in crop loss due to the damp cold conditions whereas leaving drilling too late exposes the crop to summer drought. Mid to late February is generally regarded as the optimum time for the drilling of spring cereals.
February
Carrots are a biennial root crop that were first brought to the UK in Roman times but not grown on a field scale until the 15th century. Depending upon the time of sowing, carrots can be harvested fresh throughout most of the year. The "late main crop" (carrots sown in June and July) are lifted from December onwards and provide fresh British vegetables in the depth of winter. Carrots are a particularly nutritious vegetable containing high levels of energy, fibre, carotene (which the body converts to vitamin A) and vitamins B and C.
February
Swede, a seasonal root crop that provides lots of fibre and energy and tastes great when mashed and seasoned. Swedes became important as a field crop in the eighteenth century providing fresh vegetable through the autumn and winter months; lifting lasts until March.
February
Early frog spawn in warm conditions - many lifecycles are now changing in response to climate warming with breeding coming forward in the season. Often however, such adaption is asynchronous with the development of food sources for the young which therefore leads to lower survival rates.
February
Quiet February conditions are a good time of year for estate and landscape maintenance. Without leaves and green growth, many tasks like fencing can be undertaken much more easily. Delimbing trees, coppicing hedgerows, the removal of scrub and the planting of new woods and hedgerows are all now being undertaken.
February
Daylight hours are growing - by the end of February each day has an additional 3 hours by comparison with the shortest day. This increase affects both fauna and flora and heralds the arrival of spring.
February
Splitting coppiced hazel with a bill hook. This material will be used for continuous woven fencing but there are many uses for hazel which has played a key role in the construction of homes and buildings through the ages. Today the traditional practice of coppicing is rarely seen in Britain's woodlands, however with a growing interest in the use of sustainable materials, this could be about to change.
February
A charcoal kiln in the early stages of a burn. Wood that is used for charcoal production must be thoroughly seasoned and kept dry before use.