Early Oats & award wins
July 30, 2026
As Farming 24 shines a spotlight on the real people and real stories behind British food, our contribution this year comes straight from the fields. The final chapter of our harvest is always the spring oats, and 2026 has delivered a record breaker. We rolled the combine out two to three weeks earlier than normal (the earliest start we’ve ever recorded) and, remarkably, it looks like we’ll finish today, still in July, just 24 days after we began.
Why Oats Matter
Oats have earned their reputation as a bit of a superfood, providing slow release energy, naturally gluten free, and endlessly versatile. The classic bowl of porridge still holds its place, but oats now appear everywhere: flapjacks, cereal bars, biscuits, granola, oat flake cereals, gluten free baking, and increasingly, oat drinks as a dairy alternative.
At Mellow Yellow, we’ve embraced oats wholeheartedly. Our website is full of oaty recipes that we all make regularly (our Seed & Nut granola and Peanut Butter Bars being a universal hit!), and commercially we’re proud to work with Wild & Furrow, a local oat milk producer who uses our cold pressed rapeseed oil in their award winning drinks. This week we learned they have been awarded a 3 Star Great Taste Award (the highest accolade possible) – a huge achievement that’s testament to the quality of their oats, their craft, and the ingredients they choose to work with.
A Season of extremes
The oats themselves have had a challenging year. The exceptionally dry spring stressed the crop from the moment it was drilled in March. A single thunderstorm at the end of May saved the day, but the impact of the dry spell lingered.
We grow two blocks of oats on the farm:
• The first, on lighter ground, was harvested last week, it had simply given up in the poor soil, producing a disappointing yield.
• The second block, on heavier clay soil, held onto moisture for longer and has fared better. It’s combining nicely now and, while not exceptional, the yield is at least respectable.
Harvest Traditions
We’re expecting to bring the combine home by this afternoon where we’ll blow off the dust and tuck it away for another year. Then, later on, we’ll gather for our traditional harvest fish supper. Usually we enjoy this midway through the season, but this year we’ll sit down knowing everything is safely gathered in – a rare and very welcome feeling.
We also had a bit of extra help this week. Rufus, one of our resident farmhouse sausage dogs, joined us on the tractor to supervise operations. With his little paws he wasn’t much use on the controls, but he provided plenty of comedy along the way (and, arguably, boosted morale more than any of us!).
