WHILE today's agriculture - using hi-tech machinery, hybrid varieties and scientifically tested methods -- is well and truly up with the 21st century, the ancient traditions associated with harvest time are still thriving.

The fields may not be filled with labourers wielding scythes these days but the Vale of Evesham has been a hive of frantic activity in the past few weeks as combine harvesters have taken to the fields to gather in this year's cereal crops.

And there has been some good news and some bad news for farmers as a result of the exceptionally dry hot and sunny summer.

According to Vale National Farmers' Union official Peter Foulds, farmers enjoyed excellent conditions for harvesting their crops this year.

"The conditions for getting in the grain here were probably the best for many years. It has been terrific and farmers are about two or three weeks ahead with their work at the moment. The grain moistures are also good."

However, some of the yields for this year's harvest are expected to be down on last year. The wheat yield for this area is estimated at nine per cent lower, while winter barley is also down with a five per cent drop and spring barley is up with a 6.7 per cent increase. The other major crop for the Vale is oilseed rape, which has shown a decrease in yield of 5.9 per cent.

Although this may not sound great news for farmers, they may well find they have plenty to be thankful for. The extreme weather conditions in Europe have resulted in yield reductions of over 20 per cent and production in the Ukraine is likely to be half that of last year. This may lead to higher prices for local arable farmers.

Years ago the harvest was a labour-intensive job when dozens of people would turn out to cut the sheaves of corn and secure their food for the coming months.

The tradition of Harvest Festival is one of the oldest surviving rituals in Britain and dates back to pre-Christian times.

Saxon farmers would offer the first cut sheaf of corn to their gods of fertility to ensure a good harvest the following years. The last cut sheaf was thought to contain the Spirit of the Corn and its cutting was usually accompanied by the sacrifice of a hare or other small animal caught hiding in the crop.

Over the years and with the advent of Christianity, the hare evolved into the corn dolly, made out of plaited straw, and was treated as a guest of honour at harvest celebrations. It was kept until the following year for luck.

The horse bringing in the last cartload from the fields would be decorated with ribbons and garlands of flowers and a celebratory feast would be held.

The first Harvest Festival in a church was held in Cornwall in 1843 and today the tradition continues throughout the Vale, as in the rest of Britain, when children present gifts of fruit and vegetables, which are distributed to the elderly and needy.