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Cover crops have added to Graham ’ s care for the soil .
‘ In 2014 I got the guys from King ’ s Seeds in to see what was going on and how we could improve soil heath . We now have what is called ‘ Pottermix ’ which we use today and that King ’ s now sell to other farms . It ’ s a mix of vetch , oil radish , phacelia , berseem clover , buckwheat and winter oats . It ’ s something I ’ ve learned about that has really enhanced our soil quality . We have 54 acres of cover crops in this year .’
Graham uses the Gatekeeper farm software system that allows complete analysis of how he should farm , which means before he gets into his tractor or combine cab he knows what is required .
‘ Whatever we need to know about the land and the field is loaded on to the tractor , combine or sprayer . All the maps are applied , showing us whatever variable rates there should be and we are also able to go as far as putting on the prices the wheat achieved in each area , as well as the cost of fertilisers and chemicals . We can then look at our margin maps .’
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‘ By overlaying the maps for yield , fertiliser , spraying and taking a look at the overall picture we can see where we make more return .’
Where there are larger areas in fields that are proving unproductive Graham is then able , where appropriate , to put them into countryside stewardship .
‘ Our primary concern is about getting the organic matter right . Looking after soil quality is all important if we want to sustain arable farming in the years to come . We never have bare soil , we always have something there to maintain our work on organic matter .’
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This year ’ s main crops at The Grange are 300 acres of feed wheat and 113 acres of high erucic oilseed rape that is used in plastics , lubricants , lacquers and detergents .
‘ I ’ ve changed my wheat variety to Saki winter wheat this year ,’ says Graham . ‘ I ’ d had Kerrin previously but that has had its time . We seem to be able to establish rape every year , mainly through our land being in good condition .’
Blackgrass is kept under control by using one simple method , as Graham sums up succinctly .
‘ We don ’ t want it , as nobody does , so we do everything on the farm ourselves .’
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Graham ’ s countryside stewardship involvement has seen him put in bird mixes , bee mixes , beetle banks and a pond area in what was a wet corner of a field . He also keeps 23-24 acres in grass as the renowned Deershed Festival of music and the arts is based on his neighbour ’ s farm and it is used for car parking and camping .
The Grange , which at one time many years ago seemed to employ what Graham refers to as nearly everybody in the local community , now sees him with just one other man one day a week and his nephew Luke ( Knott ) who has harvested and drilled for the past three years .
‘ At one time my grandfather employed a full-time joiner , pig man and a shepherd . We had four full-time men even when I finished at Durham School so I didn ’ t do a vast amount on the farm . I started my working life with a bit of contracting – tractor work , silaging and baling – before becoming a truck driver at 21 . I worked for three local firms – Richardson ’ s and Barry Oliver on potatoes ; and DR Wood on general haulage and wheat .’
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