Drought....

[mudsticks]

Our French Miller says the wheat is so hard from some regions around Paris, that it's heating the mill rollers and the flour is coming-out beige as it's slightly cooked, so they have stopped using it....

No info. from our UK Miller yet, but suspect as most of it is from Lincolnshire and thereabouts, less hard than southern wheats hopefully.

I'd be quite nervous driving a combine or baler atm in these conditions.
I'd be ready to run at the first sign of smoke.

Quality notwithstanding, yields will be down
Even maize which is a fairly reliable dry weather crop is stunted hereabouts.

Farmers are already feeding what should be winter forage to their stock.

Anyway, there's not much I can do in the short term for this year, there's a sequential list of what to irrigate and when, at the farm, and it's all that can be done.

In the longer term it's just keep on building more resilient soils, with more organic matter, cultivate minimally, and adjust cropping plans , to take account of changing weather patterns..

Oh and dig a reservoir for catching winter rain

If we happen to use it for cooling off us hot work force during the summer, then that's a double benefit.. 🐬😇

Anyhoo up, maybe back in a few weeks..
Definitely going off radar now..

 

[Cirrus]

Plenty boreholes on here from time to time :-)

Ain’t that the truth bother, from all spectrums.

 

[jowwy]

Should england be spending more on water infrastructure like reservoirs, rather than spending it on a train line through the country that no one seems to want???

 

[Cirrus]

The water companies shouldn’t be allowed to pay dividends until they have fixed the leaks that waste farknows how much water…😡

 

[Bromptonaut]

Should england be spending more on water infrastructure like reservoirs, rather than spending it on a train line through the country that no one seems to want???

False dichotomy.

The country was committed to HS2 before the pandemic. Whether or not it was 'wanted' it was needed. The lines out of Euston and Kings Cross were full.

The idea of some sort of water grid was mooted in 1976 and again maybe in a couple of other years when all the grass turned brown.

It's either or both, not either or.

 

[newfhouse]

farknows how much water…😡

Actually we do know. https://www.water.org.uk/news-item/water-industry-2020-21-performance-data/

• Overall leakage was 3,008 million litres per day

The water companies have promised Ofwat that they will reduce leakage by 50% by 2050, a conveniently distant date.

 

[newfhouse]

False dichotomy.

The country was committed to HS2 before the pandemic. Whether or not it was 'wanted' it was needed. The lines out of Euston and Kings Cross were full.

The idea of some sort of water grid was mooted in 1976 and again maybe in a couple of other years when all the grass turned brown.

It's either or both, not either or.

They could have run the pipes alongside the railway line if they’d been smart.

 

[Beebo]

And it seems we have still not learned....
RFU saying that in many areas they will either delay the season for the amateur game or play tag Ruby as the grounds are too hard for the full contact game.

The Kent RFU are still waiting, but with the season starting in 2weeks the pitches at my club are unplayable being basically as hard as concrete.
The dead grass is surprisingly slippery with trainers on, but no one can wear studs. I can’t see the league games starting on time Which will be a huge problem to reschedule the matches.

 

[Bromptonaut]

The Kent RFU are still waiting, but with the season starting in 2weeks the pitches at my club are unplayable being basically as hard as concrete.
The dead grass is surprisingly slippery with trainers on, but no one can wear studs. I can’t see the league games starting on time Which will be a huge problem to reschedule the matches.

Not a rugger watcher myself except that our village's annual beer festival is hosted by the Rugby Club and there are usually matches on at the time. Walked past the pitches on Friday; impossible to believe, without extensive watering, they'll be playable next month.

 

[jowwy]

Not a rugger watcher myself except that our village's annual beer festival is hosted by the Rugby Club and there are usually matches on at the time. Walked past the pitches on Friday; impossible to believe, without extensive watering, they'll be playable next month.

raining here in south wales and a lot cooler........

 

[Fab Foodie]

PRECIPITATION!

Merely mildly moist, but still the first water from the sky I have seen in weeks (and then it was a mere dampening).
In the overal scheme of things, it's nothing of course, but with a freshly laid lawn and house-building still going-on a few doors-up, just removing the fine red Devon dust from the air that pervades everything at the moment, is a bonus!

 

[Deleted member 28]

PRECIPITATION!

Merely mildly moist, but still the first water from the sky I have seen in weeks (and then it was a mere dampening).
In the overal scheme of things, it's nothing of course, but with a freshly laid lawn and house-building still going-on a few doors-up, just removing the fine red Devon dust from the air that pervades everything at the moment, is a bonus!

A dead lawn and a bit of dust on the 60" telly, how are you coping. 🤣

 

[Bromptonaut]

raining here in south wales and a lot cooler........

Forecast for the South Midlands later today but thunderstorms and heavy showers. Is likely to just run off parched earth with the risk of floods.

 

[Ian H]

PRECIPITATION!

Merely mildly moist, but still the first water from the sky I have seen in weeks (and then it was a mere dampening).
In the overal scheme of things, it's nothing of course, but with a freshly laid lawn and house-building still going-on a few doors-up, just removing the fine red Devon dust from the air that pervades everything at the moment, is a bonus!

Yup. It's even enough to persuade some drivers to activate their wipers!

 

[Fab Foodie]

And here we go @Ian H

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news...and-parts-of-devon?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other