The Farmers Mart Dec-Jan 2018 - Issue 54 | Page 50
50 LOW HOUSE FARM
DEC/JAN 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk
through the figures and crunched the
numbers the Lleyns scored because of be-
ing able to breed our own replacements.
We’re now trying a range of crossbred tups
over them using New Zealand genetics to
see whether we can breed a good com-
mercial crossbred ewe. Our fat lambs go
to ABP.’
The arable acreage includes 450 acres
of winter wheat with Revelation being the
main variety that has been grown over the
past three years, and with Sundance and
new variety Motown also in the ground for
2018 harvest. Oilseed rape is grown across
340 acres and there is 380 acres of six row
winter barley varieties Bazooka and Sun-
ningdale. Other cropping includes 100 acres
of spring barley and 100 acres of winter
beans with a further 260 acres that was
continuous wheat taken out to try differ-
ent cropping under the farm’s new recent
status as an AHDB monitor farm.
‘ We have a great team
of seven full timers,
plus myself and my wife
Anne and we simply
couldn’t do what we
do without all of them.
They do a fantastic job.
’
‘We’ve been scanning soils with the help
of Precision Decisions and we have a great
agronomist in David Coates. Our yield has
The farming operation stretches across
gone up dramatically and our wheat yield
18 miles and with the top farms at around
at harvest 2017 while not all accounted for
800ft to the cliff tops at Saltburn by the
yet came in at just under 5 tonnes per acre
Sea. It’s a much larger acreage than John
for first wheats. Our soil yields are getting
and Anne had in Northumberland but he’s
better. We’re on with min-till and we are
comfortable with the greater expanse of
exploring zero till and direct drilling. We’re
land and enterprise.
improving quicker than I thought we would.
‘Oddly enough it’s really just the same
We also now have autotrack on one of our
except for the scale. What is different is that
John Deere tractors.’
it’s a lot busier than we have been used to
‘We are trying lots of things now and we
up in Rothbury and the Coquet Valley, but
are a work in progress that is improving. I
we’re enjoying it.’
have a great team of seven full timers, plus
John played second row for Alnwick RUFC
myself and my wife Anne and we simply
for many years and was a successful Point
couldn’t do
what we do without all of them. to Point jockey in the 1970s. He still enjoys
69276 - RiponFarmServices - 8TH.pdf 1 21/12/2017 14:58:58
They do a fantastic job.’
racing but these days from the stands.
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69196 - DavidCoatesAgronomy - 8TH.pdf 1 21/12/2017 11:52:50
DAVID COATES
A G R O N O M Y LT D
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Crop Protection · Crop Spraying · Liquid Fertilizer
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CMY
K
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CM
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CY
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K
Proud suppliers to John Ainsley and the Skelton Estate
Proud to be working with John Ainsley
m: 07595 895 448 | e: [email protected]
28 Merrybent, Darlington, DL2 2LE