The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2016 - Issue 48 | Page 40

Fortshot House Farm TOM DIROM AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTORS LTD ALL MACHINERY CARRIED OUT USING FUEL EFFICIENT & WIDE LOW GROUND PRESSURE TYRES Large fleet of new and up-to-date tractors ranging from 225Hp to 400 Hp. All kitted out with RTK auto steer field mapping and variable rate systems • • • • Combine Harvesting Reversible Ploughing 3000 Gallon Slurry Tanking Self Propelled Forage Harvesting, Maize & Whole Crop included. • Rear Discharge Muck Spreading, Slurry Injecting • • • • • ALL OTHER AGRICULTURAL CONTRACTING SERVICES AVAILABLE Complete & Part Jobs Undertaken Hedge Cutting Maize & Whole Crop Combination Drilling Grass Sub Soiling, Front & Back Mower Conditionng with Spreader Hood | CALL TOM ON 07787 565298 FARM INSURANCE WHERE YOUR OFFICE IS OUR OFFICE We believe it’s better to take the time meeting face to face on a farm, not around a desk. Call 01937 844869 for a quote or pop in NFU Office, The Coach House, 42 High Street, Boston Spa, LS23 6EA Our Agents are appointed representatives of The National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Limited (No. 111982). Registered in England. Registered Office: Tiddington Road, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 7BJ. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. A member of the Association of British Insurers. For security and training purposes, telephone calls may be recorded and monitored. Ripon Farm Services are proud suppliers to Peter Trickett of Fortshot House Farm 40 Oct/Nov 2016 www.farmers-mart.co.uk milling quality. We find that we’re able to grow good grade milling wheat and this year we harvested 422 acres between the varieties Crusoe, Skyfall and Trinity. It is all sold through Glencore. “We harvested approximately 175 acres of winter barley having grown the variety Infinity this time. Our oilseed rape was Mentor and we grew around 140 acres of spring bean variety Fanfare. It should have been less on spring beans but we had some oilseed rape failure due to the very wet winter. Our land goes from 100ft above sea level to 500ft here at Fortshot and that makes a difference to harvest dates. We get sandy soil on the top of the hills and heavy clay at the bottom.” Peter has Malcolm Paley who works with him (Malcolm’s father also worked with Peter’s father) and uses the services of Tom Dirom Agricultural Contractors for combine harvesting. He’s enjoying his position as West Riding NFU county chairman although the role has taken up more time than he had anticipated, but he’s not complaining. “I’ve always felt a sense of duty to do things for the community and I feel it is an incredibly important organisation. The NFU had to come out on one side or the other over Brexit and chose ‘remain’ as I did too. My worry is trade and the tariffs that may be put against us when exporting in the future. The British government has been in favour of free trade for the past 200 years and I fear that we might now import to lower standards than we produce. “I’m looking forward to Alastair joining me on the farm next year. He’s never farmed previously but since studying at St Andrew’s University he has been involved with a graduate trainee scheme at Associated British Foods and ABF World Foods, and then joined Jordans Ryvita in Biggleswade. He and his wife Katherine, who is a qualified lawyer, are presently travelling for a year. One of the areas of expertise he already has is in online sales and marketing. He has loads of ideas and energy and I’m sure we will look at diversification projects. Who knows where our next chapter will lead us? “The one thing above all that you must be in farming today is a good business person because that’s what we are all running.” Peter and his wife Amanda have three sons – twins Robin and James, and Alastair. Robin is strategy director with an Internet software company in London, and James is a teacher who is married to wife Heather. They have a daughter called Linnea. Peter’s mum Margaret now lives in Harewood. He has a sister Jane (Scales) who lives in Dunkeswick, and brother Simon lives in Huby.