Our harvest season began on Friday 18 July, with Working Animal Supervisor Andy Robinson leading the way, alongside his team of four Percheron horses. Many staff and volunteers also gave a helping hand, including the Museum Director, and will continue to do so throughout the busy period of harvesting.
Visitors could see Andy and the heavy horses at work as they harvested the triticale, a wheat and rye hybrid, using a traditional reaper binder. The crops will be left to dry for about 10 days before being moved to ricks for storage. These will later be used for Threshing in late September.
“We have a big team of volunteers to help, along with the four horses driving the binder,” says Andy. “The volunteers helped to pile up the stooks as the reaper binder laid them out.
They will be planting Vetch and Clover, along with a small percentage (5%) of forage rape, which although also a member of the brassica family, it’s anticipated that the rest of the crop will thrive, which will then provide a robust and healthy cover.
Additionally, alongside the forage rape, grass will be integrated into this mix. This addition aims to ensure that our sheep remain clean and dry while they enjoy grazing on the nutritious cover crop during their active days.
The Museum team is also preparing to cut the wild meadow bank near Hambrook Barn. This task requires a stretch of good weather and will take 5-6 days to complete. The cut grass will be stored as feed for the horses, making a type of hay that, while less nutritious, aligns with the Museum’s sustainable practices by ensuring nothing goes to waste.
The next crop to be harvested is oats, likely around mid to late August, as oats require more time to mature. This year’s wet weather has been beneficial for some crops, particularly a mustard cover crop that struggled against flea beetles but as a result of the rain, now shows promise thanks to a strong root system and favourable weather conditions.
Over the weekend of September 28-29, the Museum will host its annual Threshing Weekend where the team will demonstrate how they process triticale and oats using a steam-powered threshing machine.
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