At the start of the week Kevin was able to plant his final winter cereal crop, a variety of winter oats called Mascani.

It is the most widely grown oat in the UK, being a well established favourite of millers and farmers. It has large good quality grains and is particularly resistant to a number of fungal diseases, such as mildew. For human consumption it is advisable to use certified seed and grow a clean crop, with plump, high test weight kernels. It is also important that the harvested grain contains the minimum amount of screenings.

These consist of weed seeds, tiny grains and any other debris.

Oats are different to most cereals , maturing from the top of the panicle down, with 90 per cent of the grain in the bottom two thirds of the head, so it is necessary to make sure the crop is properly mature at harvest.

If the oats reach the required specification for milling they are first de-hulled. They then go through a steam heating process, designed to inactivate the enzymes, which creates the typical nutty flavour. This is followed by drying and cooling, after which the grains are ready to be milled.

When processed the oats can be rolled (eg for porridge) or ground into oatmeal and are used in a wide variety of recipes. For example they are used in muesli, beer making, oat milk and as skin soothing emollients and were traditionally used to treat a number of medical conditions. Due to their uses and cholesterol lowering properties, oats have become accepted as a health food.

As an animal feed oats are a valuable energy rich cereal , with a higher fat content than other cereals , but also a better fatty acid composition. In addition to this oats contain more raw protein, especially lysine and they are high in fibre.

For horses in work oats are a good source of quick release energy. When there were no compound feeds they were readily available, cheap, but most importantly suited to their digestive system providing important fibre and phosphorus . However with fewer equines in the UK undertaking strenuous, prolonged work, they are now usually fed oats in balanced compound diets .

Apart from planting winter oats , Kevin has been erecting sheep fencing, to enable him to move some groups onto fresh pasture. Ian and Jenny have been erecting some more of the fencing, as was agreed in our five-year Countryside Stewardship agreement.

Ian has also been helping Kevin to build some pop-up tunnels, ready to house sheep during next year's lambing season. This construction involves drilling cork-screw stakes a metre into the ground . These stakes will be the anchors for the tunnels.

They did however meet some resistance when they hit a rather stony layer, so after a great deal of physical exertion Kevin has found it necessary to buy a rather large drill. Hopefully when the work re-commences it will be easier.

When on my fine day rambles around Manor Farm the buzzards have been rising almost out of sight, on rising thermals . I have also seen a few roe deer and Melissa told me she saw a mother and fawn in one of the fields. The barn owl has been spotted recently and our resident kestrels appear to be thriving.

Whilst on a recent phone call with a friend I spotted a white sparrow. I was very surprised and wondered whether my eyes were deceiving me, but a few days later I managed to take a photo , which I will share with you.