Although it is always busy on a farm, August and September are particularly busy harvesting times here in North Yorkshire. There are many crops that need to be brought in a short period of time as everything ripens at the same time. The small country roads will often be busy with tractors and farm machinery ‘to and fro-ing’ from the farm to the fields collecting and off-loading their fresh produce.
On our arable farm at Harome we have various crops including wheat, barley and oats. It is wheat cutting time and it needs to be harvested before the weather turns, so it is time to bring it in!
Combin Harvesting the wheat at Harome
Harvesting the Crops
Many of the local fields will see the spectacular large combine harvesters cutting, threshing (loosening the edible part of the crop from the stalk) and winnowing the grain all in one operation. Then dispensing all the separated grain (from the chaff) into a tractor towed trailer or grain cart ready to be transported to a specialist dry store. Depending on the size the grain carts they can transport from between 600 to 1,500 bushels.
Harvest time at Harome
What is Wheat Used for?
A ‘bushel of wheat’ is a unit of measurement that weighs approximately 60 pounds and contains about one million wheat kernels. Wheat is a staple food product that is milled into flour to make a wide variety of foods, such as bread, pasta, crackers, cakes, and our breakfast cereals such as Weetabix. Wheat is also used in ale and beer, batter-fried foods, pizza dough, salad dressing, sauces, and soup.
The Harvest Moon
The Harvest Moon Helps Farmers
As the days are shortening the ‘Harvest Moon’ can provide the extra light required to help extend the day and bring in the important crops. The farmers will be hoping for good dry weather to achieve this, wet weather make it very challenging as it impacts the quality of the crops.
Why Is it Called the Harvest Moon?
The Harvest Moon is the closet full moon to the autumn equinox, due to the earths’ tilt the moon rises sooner than at any other time of the year. For several evenings, the moonrise comes soon after sunset.
This spectacular lunar phenomenon gets its name because farmers would use the extra bright glow from the moonlight to farm late into the evening. This proved to a traditional aid to farmers in bygone years, the harvesting team and those working the fields were able to bring in their summer-grown crops before autumn really kicks in. Hence, it’s called the “Harvest Moon”! This bonus extra light still applies now though modern technology and good headlights help considerably too.
Aerial view of the farm at Harome
What are the traditions of the Harvest Moon?
During the time of the harvest moon old traditions include family reunions, moon gazing, and sharing “mooncakes”. These are traditional round pastries made from wheat flour, cooking oil and syrup boiled with malt with a variety of sweet and savoury fillings such as red bean paste, salted duck yolks and salted ham. The “mooncakes” are often cut into pieces equal in number to the number of family members, creating a meal that families can enjoy together. These are very much part of some Asian celebrations for the fullest and brightest moon of the year, hence the name ‘mooncake’.
After a long day out working in the fields another long held tradition is popping down the local pub for a well earnt pint of the local brew!
Helmsley Hideaway – Aerial Photo of Harome Village
Agriculture & Harome
The rural village of Harome is located within a largely agricultural farmland area due to its favourable climate, soil and natural irrigation with the nearby River Riccal. Our ‘Helmsley Hideaway’ is surrounded by many working farms with crop fields right behind our holiday cottage.
Guests staying at Overdale Cottage will experience first-hand a lot of the local farming activities on the doorstep and may well see some of the farmers enjoying a beer in the local pubs.
Additional Information & Useful Links:
- Farm Shops around Harome – https://www.bigbarn.co.uk/places/North-Yorkshire/Harome/Farm-Shop/
- Beadlam Grange Farmshop is a Butchery, Delicatessen, Greengrocery & two floor Bistro
- What’s on the Doorstep of ‘Posh’ Harome in the North York Moors
- Come & Visit Harome Village near Helmsley
- Lovely Local Walks around Harome – Explore the Countryside
Farming at Harome
