March is a month of change on British farms. The days grow longer, the first signs of spring appear – bright yellow daffodils emerge – and the countryside is buzzing with new life and activity. For farmers, March is one of the busiest and most important months of the year, from welcoming lambs to sowing seeds that will feed us in the months ahead.
Lambing Season
March is peak lambing season across the UK, and for many sheep farmers it’s the most demanding time of year. Days (and nights!) are long, with farmers often working around the clock to care for ewes and their newborn lambs.
Lambing is about more than just producing food – it symbolises renewal and the start of the farming year. It’s also one of the most rewarding times, with fields soon full of lambs skipping and playing in the spring sunshine.
Spring Planting: Preparing the Year’s Harvest
As the soil warms and dries, arable farmers prepare for spring drilling (planting). Crops like spring barley, oats, peas and sugar beet are sown in March, setting the stage for harvest later in the summer.
This work is vital for food production – every seed planted now is a promise of the food that will reach our tables in the months ahead. Farmers balance machinery, weather conditions, and soil health to get the timing just right.
A Turning Point in the Farming Calendar
March is often described as a “turning point” for farming. Winter tasks, like feeding housed livestock and managing muddy fields, give way to spring jobs and longer, lighter days. The shift in seasons brings:
- Fresh growth: Grass begins to regrow, so livestock can return to grazing.
- More daylight: Longer days allow farmers to spend more time on the land.
- Busy schedules: Both livestock and arable farmers juggle multiple jobs at once.
Why It Matters for All of Us
For those outside farming, March is a reminder of how deeply our food system is tied to the land and the seasons. Lambs born now may one day be part of a Sunday roast, while crops drilled in March will become bread, beer or animal feed later this year.
By supporting British farmers – whether through buying lamb, choosing flour made from British wheat or shopping local – we play a part in this story! Check out Channel 5 Springtime on the farm below:
Looking Ahead
March is the month when farming shakes off winter and looks to the future. It’s demanding, unpredictable and exhausting – but also full of hope. Lambs in the fields, seeds in the ground, and longer days ahead mark the promise of a new farming year.
So next time you see lambs jumping in the fields or a tractor working the soil, you’ll know that March is the month where farming gears up for the year ahead.
