Gav836

UK Power Networks have also been out today installing a new transformer and housing along with installing underground cabling as the main feed for 3 villages passes across the front of the new shad so they want to move it and the transformer and poles we have in the yard at the moment, it is costing us £16k though.

A few more updates on the new store now. The cladding boys have been here all week sheeting it in again, they just have the front to finish now along with all the flashings, trim and guttering. The venting company, Omnivent, also started work today, all Polish guys, not an Englishman amongst them

Well this afternoon I've been doing a job that I have to say is one of my least favourite tractor related tasks and one I've managed to escape for the past two years , I've had the tractor hoe out in the sugarbeet cutting out the over-drilling on the headlands where they join the field work and a patch of weedy beet in one of the fields. One of those jobs where you can't take your eyes of the task for more than a few seconds or a lot of damage can be done.

6810 and Stanhay Rowcleaner

Not much room for error here!!

No we don't, the ridges are deeper than they look from the tractor seat but the seed potatoes themselves are planted 5 - 7 inches deep depending on seed size and there is as much loose destoned soil beneath them as there is on top of them if not more in the shallower depth as we destone at 12 - 14 inches deep giving them plenty of loose soil to grow into.

Just a quick update on the new potato store, we've had various workmen in the yard today, some digging trenches (and hitting the water main) for the electric supply, some laying a concrete plinth for a new transformer to go in and some starting to sheet in the sides of the store. Got a couple of pictures of the first side they've been working on, the spaces at the top are for fan ductings and the ones at the back for personel access doors to the tunnel.

We finally finished planting on Monday as I mentioned elsewhere on here so I've been washing the destoner down and getting the beet hoe ready for use. As the weathers been nice today with very little wind I've put 174kg/ha of nitrogen on the Russet Burbank potatos and 260kg/ha on the Saturna that have emerged, that just leaves the potatoes that we planted in the past week to top dress once they are through.

For those who are interested these are the Russet Burbanks planted on March 22 on light land

Russet Burbanks planted on March 28 on heavy land

Saturna planted on March 31 on medium-heavy land

Finally finished potato planting today, glad to be finished. Typical that the weather is now set to be warm and dry this week now we've done, could have done with that to dry the soil out, especially on the headlands, what the destoner kicked out resembled cobbles, not clods and stones!!

Thats one thing I don't think we will have a problem with with Standen's, they have been aware of an issue with premature web wear so by their own admission this should be covered under warranty. We've not had any problems with the other couple of claims we've had on it this spring related to wear on the webs.

We would normally hope for at least two seasons but preferably three out of webs on the destoner

Well we finally got destoning again today, its a bit wet still which I think may have been the final straw for tonights breakage. I was making my way across the field at a steady 2.5kph when the slip clutch went off and the front two webs stopped, after a bit of digging out it was easy to see what the cause was.........the badly worn front web had snapped under the strain. Its an area of wear that Standens are looking into as something is wrong with the webs for them to wear this fast so hopefully its a warranty job. Standens will be with us at 7am in the morning with a new web, new sprockets and new clutch plates just in case they are too burnt.

I think we'd try to get them in asap into June as we have the seed here and that isn't cheap to buy.

I think there's some pictures in this topic somewhere Chris if not I'll get some next time I go ploughing, its not everyday you see 167hp tractor ploughing on row crop wheels thats for certain

Its lucky that we don't operate on the same potato establishment as yourselves Niels as with how our weathers been over here the potatoes would be through before ridging with that machine could take place this year. Its only really dried out this week and all of ours are now poking through in various places. Always good to see how things are done in other countries though.

whens the latest you can put the spuds in then gav?? every one down heres been done for a while, which is no help to you i know, but we usally get better weather earlier this way so you guys are always behiund by a few weeks anyway

Sensibly the end of May Sean otherwise it makes harvesting too late. I think you'll find that there are a few down your way still struggling to get them in as its certainly not a problem localised to this part of the country when you speak to people and look on other forums.

Ah another boost for your John Deere morale then!

To be fair to that tractor at 8000 hrs you come to expect the odd problem but our only concern is that they may have been removed by the previous owner to hide the fact that the tractor was running hot when working hard.

I know the feeling Gavin. Not very nice! We had some lovely days lately but seems you had just more rain? How much have you got left to plant now?

Between 28 and 30 acres Niels, we had a look this lunchtime but its still too wet at the moment, hopefully have a go tomorrow. Unfortunately the 6910 has thrown a spanner in the works now as it had a small waterleak yesterday which upon investigation today turned out to be a split the full width of it so its now in pieces awaiting a new radiator......and two thermostats as we found they had been removed when we went to change them today we're now wondering why

nice straight furrow on the ploughing gav. gps or great skill involved? as for the rain, well, me and the gaffer were chatting about this today. i said to him i would rather see our crops this spring looking the way they do[very healthy and full of potential] than this time last year when things were going down hill fast. i do however feel sorry for you and the other spud guys gav, as i know your window for planting is closeing out fast.the weather in east anglia is supposed to settle down after today, fingers crossed you will get going again.i hope august isn't going to be a 2008 repeat!

No GPS on the farm Chris so its all down to me. We've had a couple of light showers today and its trying again at the moment. We only need 4 days to get everything wrapped up here now but as myself and the Standen engineer were saying today, you can usually guarantee that a wet planting season means a wet harvesting season when it comes to potatoes, 2008 is a good example to use.

Funny you should say that Barry but I actually picked our oldest irrigator up from the dealers today where its had a major overhaul.

I ploughed our last remaining bit of potato land yesterday as its the only way we think it'll get the air into it to dry it out, not ideal ploughing 14 inches deep on rowcrop wheels but needs must. Turned out wet but still drier than we expected it to.......

It had dried out enough to start ridging up by this afternoon, managed to get a couple of acres done then this happened.........

From what the guys said Chris they are going to be there for a great proportion of the night power floating the floor, got their mobile lighting gantries there ready to fire up already. It's more likely to be deer prints about this way. All our rape is looking well considering its a variety a lot of people have had problems with, we seem to be an exception to that though given its yield last year and its looks so far this year

Well after a wait of several weeks the concreting boys turned up today to do the floor on the new store, as I'm on holiday this week I was only alerted to their presense by the sheer number of cement lorries going past my house. Despite the fact that I'm on holiday I thought I'd just slip down to the yard this afternoon and have a look at what was going on and get some pictures for you bunch of misfits and wierdo's on here

With a missus like that you don't need enemies Chris ;D

In all seriousness though its interesting to see whats involved in the loading and unloading of carg planes and the inner workings of them

Can I get a signed photo Chris, put on the mantle (keep the kids away from the fire!!!)

Now thats just plain mean Barry, funny but mean ;D

I should have added to my previous post that if anyone on here would say that sort of thing it would have been Barry, he's just plain mean and nasty at times ;D

Now thats just plain mean, I'd never say something as mean and nasty as that to anyone.......... :ha ha!:

Well you certainly have a face suited for radio Chris, can see why they put it on after the 9pm watershed now :ha ha!: :ha ha!:

I always find it interesting to watch programs like this though just to see what happens in airports. on planes and the like

Are people in your area planting less because of the drought this year Gav?

Not that it matters a lot but here in Holland it very much depends how much maize has been drilled. At a rough guess i'd say that in the North 75% has probably been drilled and 50% in the South.

We're actually planting more potatoes this year to be able to fill the new store up (which is 4 weeks behind schedule due to the rain!) but have dropped the carrots this year, neighbours seem to be growing as many as usual as well.

We have 28-30 acres to get in, all whites for Walkers Crisps whereas one neighbour has around 500 acres and the other 140.