Farmers Shrug Off Weather Woes to Show Off Hay and Straw

The talk was of wet weather and drilling delays as Cotswold farmers gathered to show off the results of their skills at the Moreton Show Fodder Crops and Cereals competition, sponsored by Tayler & Fletcher.   

It was a difficult autumn for farmers after bad weather disrupted autumn planting but on an unusually fine day in Broadwell, near Moreton in Marsh, there was plenty of hay, straw, silage and malting barley on show at The Fox Inn for the judges, Philip Smith from the Cheltenham-based grain merchants, Western Arable and local dairy farmer, David Wall.

Philip Smith said: ‘Farmers have had a bumper harvest followed by some challenging conditions for planting this autumn which will mean that prospects for next year are reduced. It’s estimated that in the UK, just 30 to 35 percent of farmers have planted and it’s not always been into good ground.’

Rose Smith, chair of Moreton Show’s Farms and Crops Committee, said: ‘The beautiful thing about Moreton Show is that we do things all year round. Farmers are now busy trying to catch up because of the recent bad weather but the quality of grain presented for this competition has been very good.’

Certificates were presented by James Organ from the sponsors, Tayler & Fletcher of Bourton on the Water and among the big winners this year was Robert Jackson, from Manor Farm in Sevenhampton. He took a third prize, four seconds and a first for his cereal straw.

The successful farmers will receive their trophies at Moreton Show’s Farms and Crops prize giving evening at the Fosseway Garden Centre on February 12. Next year’s Moreton Show is on Saturday, September 5.

Photo: Big winner, Robert Jackson (left) with Tayler & Fletcher’s James Organ

More photos and videos of the day can be seen on our Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/MoretonShow/?ref=bookmarks

The full results are as follows: