All the arable land at Labour-in-Vain in 2000 was barley, some of it undersown with grass and clover. This was cut before it was ripe as a green manure.The smothering effect of a crop, repeated cultivation and early cutting all reduce weeds. After repeating the process next year, we hope to have better soil structure, more nutrients and fewer weeds for our first organic crop. These were all cut in July and are either waiting for a first or a second cultivation, except where there is successful undersown grass and clover.

1 Upper Clay Grounds:barley.
2 The Brow:barley undersown with grass and clover.
3 Middle and lower Labour-in-Vain Barley.
4 Upper Pines:barley undersown with grass and clover.
5 Middle pines:barley.

Cogden

There is no arable at Cogden.

The Home Farm

On the home farm, the rotation we use is (though we are not rigid).

6 Wheat,
7 Second cereal - usually oats
8 Grass and clover to cut and mulch
9 Grass and clover to graze

In 2000, Wheat was grown in West Hill (East) 6 , where you will find there is still stubble and a rick of the wheat at the bottom of the field. This was cut by a reaper and binder, stitched up for the grain to continue to ripen and the weeds to dry then stacked ready for the thrashing machine in the autumn. We then get a crop of thatching reed as well as grain. Oats was grown in East Baycot 7 which has had it's first cultivation and the first year of the grass and clover ley is in West Baycot 8, waiting for us to do a second cut. The second year of ley is in West Hill (west) 9, and this has been grazed by both sheep and cattle this year. We grew rye in the western section of the bottom market garden Š, and you will see the very tall stubble there. Rye is a very tall, tough crop and combining it can be difficult. Cutting it high reduces the number of times the cutter bar gets choked! We also use rye as a green manure between rows in the market garden.