66 BRICKYARD FARM APR / MAY 2021 • farmers-mart . co . uk
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15 Market Place , Malton , North Yorkshire , YO17 7LP T : 01653 697820 E : malton @ cundalls . co . uk
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Reagarth Farm , Helmsley , York , North Yorkshire , YO62 5XH Tel : 01439 772000 E : enquiries @ reagarthfas . co . uk
ESTABLISHED 1860
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40 Burgate , Pickering , North Yorkshire , YO18 7AU Tel : 01751 472766 E : pickering @ cundalls . co . uk
We are pleased to be associated with Andrew Wilson and Brickyard Farm .
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‘ Last year we drilled winter wheat on 1 March because of the poor weather in the autumn . At the beginning of June it had no stem , hadn ’ t vernalised and was going to be expensive straw . Luckily the cold rain we had in late June seemed to kick start it and we harvested 2.3t / ac at 23 % moisture on 19th October , so not great , but not a disaster ! I baled the straw on 28th February , and the field is now sown with spring barley .
Winter barley is being grown over 70 acres this year , which Andrew said usually averages between 3.25 to 3.5 tonnes per acre . It produces a decent amount of straw , some of which has been sold to a livestock farmer near Skipton for three generations now . In addition , he has sown 35 acres of Lynx spring beans , 25 acres of Canyon seed oats , 25 acres of milling oats and 50 acres of spring malting barley variety Propino for this year ’ s harvest .
R . D . Marsden Haulage Ltd .
An independent family business providing haulage of grain and animal feeds throughout North Yorkshire
All at R . D . Marsden Haulage Ltd . wish Andrew Wilson and Family at Brickyard Farm con�nued success
T : 07789988094 | E : marsden5 @ hotmail . co . uk
Stoneyridge , Grewelthorpe , Ripon , North Yorkshire , HG4 3DS
Andrew realises that some of his ideas may not be along traditional lines and he said that one of his neighbouring farmers had commented on his activities with cover crops , direct drilling and unconventional cultivations .
‘ He said he couldn ’ t work out whether I was a genius or a nutcase , that I don ’ t follow fashion (!) but for me farming is all about continually adapting and improving to remain fit for the future .’
‘ I have been involved with two arable benchmarking groups in the past couple of years . These meetings focus the mind and give a different perspective on the costs of farming . I have been involved in trials of various kinds for many years and are actively involved with the activities of the AHDB . I recently I gave a presentation for the AHDB to my farming colleagues illustrating our journey in cover crops and the benefits we have seen from them .
Nonetheless , for all Andrew ’ s changes it is still the potatoes that continue to form the cornerstone of the farm business .
‘ We grow about 250 acres of potatoes . It is our biggest crop , with half going to McCain and into fries for McDonalds , growing the varieties Innovator and Royal ; and the other half to crisp factories at Seabrook , Tayto and Walkers using the varieties Brooke , Pirol , Opal and Triple 7 . We like to average around 20 tonnes per acre and study results closely . If the worst performing variety is constantly the worst , we drop it .’
‘ Our potato area is down about 20 % on what it was 4yrs ago . Some of the crop used to be sold off the field at harvest , or put into third party storage , which was financially unsatisfactory . Cutting the area back to what we can store ourselves has made us much more efficient in the field and reduced both costs and risk . Big is not always beautiful ! Our potatoes are contracted for delivery between November and March , some of which we wash on site ’
Although many farmers in Ryedale stopped growing sugar beet when the York factory closed Andrew told of a proud history he is continuing today , and another new development .
‘ Sugar beet was my father ’ s favourite crop and until recently has always been a good , reliable performer . We are now one of few in this area to have continued an unbroken annual record of growing it since the early York factory days and since we began supplying Newark Factory in 2007 . We will have 42 acres this year and we are growing crimson clover as a companion in between the beet rows which should attract and feed predatory insects like ladybirds , who will hopefully control virus carrying aphids instead of using insecticides .’
Electricity is generated from 48kw of solar panels on a shed roof and is used to power pig feeders , potato stores and