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. C M Y 69196 - DavidCoatesAgronomy - 8TH.pdf 1 21/12/2017 11:52:50 DAVID COATES A G R O N O M Y LT D CM MY Crop Protection · Crop Spraying · Liquid Fertilizer CY CMY K C M Y CM MY CY CMY 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