Field of gold

Last autumn I had wondered what was being planted in the nearby fields once the barley was harvested and now I see that most of our local fields which are usually of cereal  are golden with oilseed rape.   It is a useful "break crop" in farm rotation as it suppresses weeds and improves soil quality for cereal crops such as wheat and barley. The oil is actually one of the highest quality vegetable oils and is considered to be very healthy with low saturated fat and a high omega-3 content and has a very good reputation among eminent chefs.  The tiny black seeds are used in vegetable oil, as high protein animal feed and for biodiesel.  I look forward to seeing whether the normal combine harvesters trundle past the house  at harvest time or whether a different harvester is used.