Awful prices have marred success of the harvest

I am waiting for a dry spell so that I can sow the wheat. The oil seed rape is up and looks fantastic.

We sowed 16 acres of a dry land herb mixture from Cotswold seeds in the spring. It has lots of Cocksfoot, chicory, plantain, clover and no ryegrass. Ryegrass performs poorly in droughty conditions due to its shallow roots.

The 20 acres next door was drilled after wheat and is a more traditional seed mixture with ryegrass. This field is less prone to drought, but it will still be a good comparison to have the two leys next to each other. The lambs are growing well on the plantain and chicory and we are drafting some lambs each week to send into Ludlow market. The price is still poor after the drop in July, so we're aiming at getting more weight onto the lambs from forage.

The stubble turnips are thriving and will feed the ewes early next year prior to April lambing. I have been buying Lleyn yearlings again this year, some privately and some from Welshpool at the breed's society sale. There is definitely a feeling of autumn and log fires as we prepare for winter and draft ewes into their respective tupping groups. I'm debating whether to bolus them all with a mineral bolus. We have never used one before, but I have read of farmers seeing good results from doing so.

All the yearlings and older ewes will go to pedigree Lleyn rams this November as we aim to increase the flock. We still have two Texel rams and a Sufftex which will be used on the ewe lambs.

Harvest 2014 was a success only marred by the awful prices, which don't look like improving.

We have planned out our crop rotations with regard to the EU's new Common Agricultural Policy rules. We have enough buffer strips adjacent to watercourses and fallow strips to meet all of the required Environmental Focus Areas needed, which is a relief. We always have more than three arable crops, including rotational grass, so we are all right on that point too.

I have been picking apples and washing them ready for cider making. I was looking at various apple press designs on the internet until mother saw an advert saying that Appleby's of Hawkstone are having an apple pressing day next weekend. We've only got about 60kg of cider apples so this seems the best option for this year. I can't wait to try the cider.

Kim is busy with art scholars at Moor Park and teaching Oscar to ride his new pony, "Tansy", on her days off. Apparently all is going well and judging by the photos he loves it.

*David Morgan is from Strefford Hall Farm, Craven Arms