2026 Harvest Complete: A Challenging Year, but Good Stocks for Winter
After a long, hot and exceptionally dry few months, we’re pleased to say that the 2026 harvest at Hartcliff Farm is finally complete.
It has been another challenging year for farmers and livestock keepers across the country. The prolonged dry weather has affected grass growth throughout the spring and summer, while the arable harvest has been exceptionally early, reported as the earliest on record in the UK.
Unfortunately, early hasn’t necessarily meant plentiful. Yields have been disappointing in many areas, continuing the pressures that farmers have faced over recent seasons.
A difficult summer for livestock keepers
The ongoing drought has been particularly difficult for those keeping horses, cattle, sheep and other grazing animals.
With fields becoming increasingly dry and grass growth slowing or stopping altogether, many livestock and horse owners have already found themselves feeding hay and other conserved forage during the summer, supplies that would normally be kept back for autumn and winter.
That inevitably raises concerns about fodder availability as we head towards the colder months, particularly if significant rainfall doesn't arrive soon enough to encourage a good spell of autumn grass growth.
More hay for 2026
There is some good news from our own harvest.
This year we expanded the acreage that we cut for hay, including working with local landowners to take additional areas of grass. Although conditions haven't always made life easy, that extra acreage has helped us build good stocks for the months ahead.
We currently have both conventional small-bale hay and 4ft round-bale hay available, giving customers options to suit everything from a couple of horses through to larger yards and livestock holdings.
Our barley straw harvest is also complete, and we currently have both small-bale and round-bale barley straw in stock.
As always, all of our hay and straw is locally produced and stored under cover ready for sale throughout the season.
A team effort
Getting a harvest completed is never a one-person job, and that's especially true in a year when weather conditions dictate when – and how quickly – jobs need to happen.
A huge thank you goes to everyone who has worked hard at Hartcliff Farm throughout this year's hay and straw harvest. There have been some long days, late finishes and plenty of machinery hours involved in getting everything safely into the barn.
We'd also like to thank the local farmers and landowners we work with – both those who supply our barley straw and those who partner with us to make additional grassland available for haymaking. Those relationships allow us to increase the amount of locally produced fodder we can offer and are an increasingly important part of what we do.
For now, though, the balers can finally have a rest.
Our 2026 hay and barley straw stocks are available now in both small and round bales. If you're already thinking about your requirements for autumn and winter, please get in touch to discuss quantities, collection or delivery.