Belt & braces for farmers this time of year as they employ both the old gods & new technologies in the hope of a bountiful year – and you're moaning about having to get up an hour earlier!

In pagan societies, early farmers relied on rituals and offerings to deities like Demeter or Ceres to ensure fertile soil and bountiful harvests, or in this case Jen, the local Barley Queen.

These acts, sowing seeds with prayers or blessing fields during seasonal festivals reflected a deep connection to nature’s cycles and a belief in supernatural influence over agriculture. With the spread of Christianity, these pagan traditions were adapted. Field blessings became tied to Christian rites, such as Rogation Days, where clergy and farmers prayed for divine protection against pests, drought, or floods. Saints like St. Isidore, patron of farmers, replaced earlier gods, but the intent, securing good harvests, remained unchanged. These blessings persisted into the medieval era, blending faith with practical land management.

The Industrial Revolution marked a turning point, introducing mechanised ploughs, fertilisers, and irrigation, shifting reliance from prayer to science. Today, cutting-edge technology drones, precision agriculture, and genetically modified crops maximises yields with data-driven efficiency. Daylight Saving Time (DST) complements this, extending daylight hours for farmers to work fields or manage livestock, especially during Spring planting and Autumn harvests.

While its usefulness is debated by the public at large, DST still aligns with modern farming’s need for flexibility. From pagan chants to satellite-guided tractors, husbandry’s journey reflects humanity’s relentless quest to master the land.