The harvest is finally underway and the barley, oats and oil seed rape are safely in the barn. It is a busy time on the farm getting the crops in while the weather is fine. Then the fields need preparing and planting with next years crops. The summer so far has been fairly mixed weather wise. The grain is best harvested when dry. This is often tricky with a great British summer.
When I first came to the farm, I had no appreciation of what the various grains looked like when they were in the ground. Now I love running my hands through the soft, wispy barley. The wheat stands tall and firm, while the oats, are somewhere in between. 
The oil seed rape, with it bright streak of yellow in the early summer adds to the colour of the land. Although, it is my least favourite crop since it is a common culprit for hayfever. I blame it entirely when I suffer itchy eyes.
The fruits are all growing juicier and ripening. I look forward to next month when the apples, plums, blackberries and other autumn delights will be ready for harvest. While it is more comfortably to pick these in the dry, it is not essential. The grains are the main crop here but are less immediately practical since we don’t have a working grain mill to grind them into flour. You cannot just pick a sheaf and munch on it while enjoying a stroll around the fields (believe me, in hungrier moments I have tried and been most disappointed!).