Arable Use

Many of the best arable fields are on the slopes because it is freer draining.  Several of the arable fields, which have poor soil structure or with access problems, have been taken out of production. Some have been planting with a mixture of native trees under the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme or left to regenerate under the Habitat Scheme and both of these ways we have tried to encouraged wildlife.

We have also introduced new methods of crop production that limits erosion and use of natural resources.

1997: We discontinued the use of ploughs on the land and instead started using minimal cultivation techniques, which lessens the need to turn the soil but instead to stir the ground.  This was a great success as it meant that fewer tractor hours were spent preparing the ground and therefore creating a saving in diesel usage.

1997: We started to chop our straw to increase the Humus content of the soil.  Over the past decade most of the farmers had removed the straw to sell or use for store animals.  By chopping and incorporating the straw, we will slowly increase the friability of the soil.

1998: We introduce the use of arable margins as a way of improving the environment to the natural predators.  This has also had the benefit of reducing our spending on chemicals to control pests.  Birds now aid the control of Slugs and Aphids are partially controlled by Labybirds.

1999: We introduce no till drill that means that we drill the new crop straight into the ground after the combine has finished.  This has reduced the number of tractor hours as the work can be done in two passes rather than six passes as in common practise.

2005:  We reintroduce ploughing by buying a Kuhn five furrow plough, to try to break the grass weed cycle.  We now intend to plough every third year, which will allow the grass weeds to die before bringing them back to the surface.

2007:  Kelvin Milton joins the farm as mainfarm worker and we start to purchase some of our own equipement such as a Cleanacres Sprayer that we can use on our crops.

2008:  We step up a gear and purchase our first brand new tractor, a New Holland 6080. (Its the one at the top of the page)

2009:  A new Accord Drill, He-Va Subsoiller and Kverneland Fertiliser Spreader join the fleet.

2010:  We purchase a secondhand New Holland TX68 Combine and two Red Rock Trailers ready for our harvest and what a difference it makes.  We combine when we want to and the crops are harvested drier than we have ever managed before.