05/10/2026
The Harvest of the Hills🍁🍂🐑
For many, Spring is celebrated as the season of new beginnings across the farming calendar. Yet for those who work in the hills, Autumn is without a doubt my favourite time of year. As the of bracken turns a deep rust-red and a crisp chill settles over the ridges of the Welsh uplands, there is a distinct rhythm that takes over the hills. This is our true harvest season; not of grain or fruit, but the harvest of the hills.
Autumn brings the culmination of a year’s tireless dedication. The gathering of the hills is a tradition woven deep into the fabric of Welsh rural life. Seeing the hill flocks gathered from the far reaches of the mountain, led down narrow stone tracks by sharp dogs and steady hands, brings an unmistakable sense of accomplishment.
This period represents a pivotal moment for hill flocks, one that directly ensures their future resilience and viability. Autumn sales bring the vital selection of breeding stock, where choosing strong, hardy ewes and turning out high-grade tups sets the genetic foundation for upcoming spring lambing. Before breeding, ewes are carefully drafted, inspected, and put onto improved pasture or foggage to flush them, ensuring they hold optimum condition to weather the challenging months ahead. At the same time, managing stock numbers in late autumn allows hill farmers to balance livestock needs with conservation grazing obligations, preventing winter overgrazing while preserving peatlands, heather moorland, and fragile upland habitats.
