New south-west Barometer farmer – Roofing material from south-western unit pays well
Farmers Weekly’s new south-western Barometer farm runs two second-hand harvesting machines – one four years old, the other 64.
The latter is a Foster reed comber/thresher used to handle the Maris Widgeon wheat and Purdy triticale grown for their thatching straw at North Farm, Horton, near Wimborne, Dorset.
The second is a 25ft cut Claas Lexion 560 which 28-year–old manager Peter Snell bought to replace a John Deere 1075 after the expansion of the arable enterprise.
Thatching straw offers a much better gross margin than the mainstream crops on the 283ha (700 acre) unit, but its labour requirements for stooking and carting rule out much more than the 20ha (50 acres) or so grown each year, explains Mr Snell.
He manages the farm for the North Farm Partnership. He also oversees stubble-to-stubble contracts on about 80ha (200 acres).
Until four years ago, when he took over after gaining a degree at Seale-Hayne, the farm had a 220-cow dairy. But this was dropped for economic reasons, leaving an all-arable business.
Simple system
He aims to maximise output under a simplified, mainly two-man system allowing time to explore other opportunities to boost income. Already some otherwise redundant buildings host a forestry business and store caravans and boats.
Large amounts of sewage sludge, green waste compost and farmyard manure are applied to help maintain soil organic matter levels and the fertility left by the cows.
“We use about 3500t of compost a year.”
Both sludge and compost are free, though the latter attracts a small spreading charge.
“Our indices are all twos and threes, so I haven’t had to buy any P or K this year.”
Main crops are winter wheat and oilseed rape and spring barley, all mostly grown from home-saved seed.Until last year establishment was by ploughing and power-harrow combination drill. But all this season’s crops are being grown under a min-till system based on a new 4m Horsch Pronto drill.
Yields were clearly hit by last season’s spring drought and dull summer.
“But we have had 4.4t/ha from winter rape and up to 9-10t/ha of wheat.”
Second wheats seem to suffer relatively little penalty and with better prices and because he has no need for straw there is no winter barley this season.
“We have quite a lot of second wheats this year, and for the first time about 70 acres of spring malting barley, all Tipple.”
In his drive for simplicity all the wheat, apart from two fields of Timber, is Alchemy.
The oilseed rape is nearly all Castille. “We have a bit of Kalif just to try.”
The fields are reasonably blackgrass-free, though the weed is creeping in, he admits. “And we do have plenty of ryegrass, a legacy of the dairy leys.”
Although BASIS-qualified, Mr Snell appreciates the extra husbandry expertise of AICC’s Stuart Martin of Hampshire–based Crop Management Services.
“I met him on the course and I’m impressed by his advice.” And as a member of TAG he finds results from its local trials relevant.
All pesticide applications are via a 20m Knight mounted sprayer operated either by himself or tractor driver Mark Plewka who has worked on the farm since 1979.
Most inputs come through the Agritek buying group.
His grain is sold directly to merchants, mainly Frontier, rather than via the co-op route. “I quite enjoy marketing my own grain. Last year I started selling wheat forward at £86/t and went all the way up to £180.”
Investment
The thatching straw goes to about a dozen customers. “But I’ve been in touch with up to 30 thatchers over the years.”
Mr Snell acknowledges that his drying and storage set-up needs modernising and expects to invest heavily quite soon, especially after last summer’s experience with oilseed rape.
“Our old Alvan Blanch continuous flow drier only does about 9t/hr and it won’t handle rape. I wouldn’t want another wet harvest.”
The plan is to renew the roof on an old cattle shed and make it ACCS-acceptable. “The roof alone will cost £33,000. And we’re looking at a Challow-type drying floor. Altogether I think we’re looking at over £100,000.”
Like many other growers he is keen to expand but realises it is not easy.
“Here in Dorset there is fierce competition for land, whether to buy or for contract–farming agreements. I’ve been involved in a couple of tenders, but as yet haven’t been successful.”
North farm
- 283ha + contracting
- Wide range of soils min-tilled
- Cropping: WW, OSR, Sp barley + thatching straw
- Two-man unit
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