Thank you to those that had the chance to visit our sunflower field. It has been wonderful seeing you appreciate the natural habitat for the wildlife and the beautiful scenery the sunflowers gave. When we first planted the sunflowers in the letters NHS X we didn’t quite think about how high the sunflowers would grow and that the only way for the public to view the letters NHS X was from aerial shots taking via a drone.

We will soon be combining the field in preparation for the winter months. We hope to use the seeds as a bird feed which will be sold in our Farm Shop. All profits will be donated to the NHS as a small thank you for everything that have done and are doing during this difficult time.

We have been overwhelmed by all the amazing photography we have seen of our sunflower field. So we have decided to produce a 2021 calendar to showcase the top 12 photos. If you would like the chance to feature in our sunflower calendar, then please upload your best photo here.

We have made great progress on the farm over the last month and have harvested over 250 acres worth of oil seed rape. Luckily, we got ahead of the wet weather which has meant we have been able to plant 200 acres worth of oil seed rape ready for next year. You will have read in last month’s news that we have struggled with flea beetle throughout this year’s crop. In an attempt to fool the flea beetle we have planted buckwheat throughout next years oil seed rape.

Like many others, I have used my time during lockdown to brush up on my cooking skills. Last month I attempted to create homemade fresh pasta. I combined my fresh linguine with a delicious tomato based sauce, fresh prawns and chicken. Although it tasted delicious, I found the making of the pasta very laborious. I may have cheated the second time round and used good old dried pasta!

Great news for me, in that I have been able to get back into the flying seat! Although I have had a 5-month break from flying, my new found hobby. It is great that I have retained muscle memory. I’m quite simply enjoying every minute of it!

As summer draws to a close, I thought I would share with you this beautiful sunset photo I took last month. My trips away this summer may have been cancelled but it does not seem so bad when I have beautiful views like this. Forever grateful.

Until next time

S.B.