But my most cherished farming pleasure is lunch. A proper sit down lunch at the table with plates and cutlery, with home-made bread on the board and kettle on the stove for after.
Often in the cooler months I’ll pop into the house around 11 and put a pan of lentils and water to simmer on the side of the stove while I continue working.
Then when my stomach tells me it’s time to down tools, I grab a fistful of collard greens on my way to the house.
The roughly chopped greens go in with the lentils to cook rapidly for as long as it takes to find a bowl and spoon and toast a thick slice of bread. Season the dish well with salt and pepper, and butter the toast generously.
Simple. Nourishing. Lentils, greens, bread. Pleasure.
After lunch it’s on with the boots and outside to search for the perfect stroke of the hoe, the perfect dump of the barrow, and maybe a 10-minutes chat with the neighbour as he heads down the road...