Our System

Soil Health

  • Our focus on soil quality and health is fundamental to the performance of our farms. We sample all our soils every one or two years on a 5Ha plot basis. This helps us build a strong organic matter and nutrient profile to target applications throughout the year. We focus on cost effective nutrition, such as regular applications of organic manures to reduce costs and dependence on inorganic N,P&K
  • Soil structure is key. We focus the majority of our cropping on winter crops. Where spring cropping is required, we sow cover crops in august which can be grazed or used as green manures. This ensures that living roots are maintained during the high rainfall months. As a result, we mitigate erosion and nutrient depletion.
  • Reduced tillage. Zero-till farming is fashionable at the moment, but it has it’s limitations. We take a balanced approach to tillage decisions through a hybrid min-till system. We predominantly opt for non-inversion single pass tillage. However, we still aim to rotationally plough 1 in 5 years to reset fields and margins. In some circumstances, we can direct drill. After wet seasons and before planting potatoes, we believe it is necessary to subsoil fields for aeration and drainage. Having a flexible system allows us to consistently achieve strong crop establishments which is key to setting up high yields.
A health cover crop of oats and oil radish during a soil-sampling trip

Investment and Farming Technology

  • Keeping equipment up to date and well maintained. Most of our power units are replaced every 3000hrs or 3 years. This means that we always have finance free, reliable equipment to get the job done without downtime.
  • Technological investment is an ongoing process. We utilise the latest technologies. Our systems include RTK GPS mapping and guidance. We also use variable rate nutrient application and pulse-width modulation sprayers. Adopting the right technologies allow our systems to stay at the cutting edge of farm tech. We can allow our clients access to our farming telematics systems (Ops Centre) ensuring transparency and providing insight into the day to day operations for land owners.
  • Infrastructure is key to profitability. We can help apply for and implement grants for infrastructure projects on farms, ensuring long-term sustainability of clients operations.
Our new pulse-width modulation John Deere sprayer allows us to apply nutrients precisely while cornering and at low speeds

Agronomy and Marketing

  • Agronomists, salespeople and agents can provide valuable advice. However we believe that farming decisions are best made by farmers. We utilise our own expertise to maximise returns.
  • Will, Henry and Frank all have formal scientific botanical training. Will and Henry are both BASIS certified. They are also FACTS certified. Frank has over 40 years of experience in crop marketing and agronomic planning. We can offer full in-house agronomy services with a focus on integrated pest management. This often provides significant savings compared to external agronomist recommendations. We know when we need to use robust chemistry, and can identify where there might be economic justification to cut back.
  • Hitting markets at the right time is critical to profitability. We split our marketing between future-crop contracts and what’s in the shed. This allows us to mitigate the effects of volatile markets while still timing sales with market highs. We have long-standing relationships with multiple grain and produce buyers across the country. Utilising this network, we ensure that we always have access to the best prices.
  • We also have large capacity drying and storage capability with out 60t/hr Kentra continuous flow grain dryer and conveyer linked storage site. This allows us to charge significantly below market rates for drying, storage and out loading of the crop.

Bespoke Estate Management

  • We understand that farming is only one part of land ownership. As land-owning farmers, we know that it’s important to manage farms in a way that is sensitive to the owner’s interests. This might mean restrictions on traffic hours, manure applications and crop rotations.
  • Agri-environment schemes are an essential part of farm incomes. We can help design, apply and implement SFI, CS and Capital-Grant schemes to maximise your farm’s profitability without the use of external agents
  • Hedgerow, fencing and drainage can all be part of the package. Our friendly workforce can be made available to assist land owners with personal projects such as tree planting or building maintenance.
Hedgerow management options can be included into a CFA

Potatoes can be incorporated into part of a CFA agreement through Penmar in Northumberland