jdc Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 A really interesting read, Niels. You certainly seem to be able to find a job every day. Your machinery all looks well cared for too - I like that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 11, 2012 Author Share Posted February 11, 2012 Somehow with only a good 100 acres to look after there is ALWAYS something to do. Still a lot of stuff gets left behind! Thanks anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 This weeks update. The Deutz could do with a good clean after working in the muck. Ready for spring now! DB 990 with the Griesser backactor to load muck. Something always manages to break off on this machine at least once a week. Case 1294 and little trailer all cleaned up again. Tractor was actually white underneath all the dust! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke (DeWitt) Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 I hate having to clean equipment but it sure looks good when its done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 I know the feeling Luke. That is why I am taking the pictures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 curious niels, we do see pics of front loaders in europe, but loads of farmers seem to favor 360 machines and back actors like yours for muck work?? is there any reason you and others dont have a front loader or telehandler , you seem to do a fair bit of work with the forklift so clearly need a loader of some sorts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Telehandlers cost way to much. Nice if you have lots of work for it but hard to justify. Front loaders just don't work as they are far to slow and annoying to use. New models are a bit better and good for loading bales but that is about it. Some farms use mini-shovels or medium sized ones which are nimble and have a high capacity. But all the hydraulics means it costs a lot in repairs. All of our yard is concrete so the forklift is perfect for a wide variety of tasks. Could load muck with the forklift even but you probably don't want to see how it looks after. Best keep it a bit clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 3, 2012 Author Share Posted March 3, 2012 A small update from today. We are still cleaning the tractors. The remaining potatoes were supposed to go this weekend but turns out the underwater weight (starch content) was to low. This has to be 350 but it is 300. This means the chips won't get a nice golden/brown tint to them when you deep fry them. Not good! The processor is now trying to find an export market for them. The onions were this years disaster but it seems the potatoes won't be much better. The DB 1690 is getting a wash while taking a break from feeding. DB 770 on wide track again, ready for onion drilling. The Stanhay drill is now behind her ready to go this upcoming week hopefully. Little line up of the 990, 1690 and 1294. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke (DeWitt) Posted March 3, 2012 Share Posted March 3, 2012 Sorry to hear about the crop issues, we had problems with potatoes being too small last year in our own garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 A garden sized problem is to overcome of course. Despite it not being very nice of course as you put a lot of work in it. But 700 tonnes of produce that make up an important part of your income is a different matter. Last years crop gave an income of around 154k in euros. This year it will be around 14k if we are lucky. Another year like it and you're out of business! Onions are worse but luckily milk prices are there to pay for monthly costs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere-est Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Nice line up of the DB's, Neils. What or where is the market for your onions? Are they sold through some sort of cooperative/trader or marketed by yourselves, exported or so on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 4, 2012 Author Share Posted March 4, 2012 (edited) We market them by ourselves but they usually go to the same company every year. We usually have two or three commissionaire coming to have a look throughout the season that act on behalf of exporting company's. When we feel the price is right they can have them. We sell them in bulk and they grade, pack and ship them. Mainly to Eastern Europe or Africa but also a lot to the UK as neither UK or Germany are self sufficient. Edited March 4, 2012 by Niels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deere-est Posted March 4, 2012 Share Posted March 4, 2012 Interesting, my friends in Denmark market seed potato's to North Africa. I think I just had one of your onions in my dinner, I must say. .. very nice it was too. Slight taste of David Brown back end oil though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 5, 2012 Author Share Posted March 5, 2012 Well Holland is an export country and prety much 95% gets exported. Of course we then import onions from France and potatoes from Malta as the consumers want perfect looking stuff. The David Brown back end oil is a free extra you get. Comes in very handy as you don't need to put butter in the pan when you bake them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 13, 2012 Author Share Posted March 13, 2012 Bit of non-DB stuff this time. Spreading N with a John Deere 2250. The Amazone fertiliser spreader is owned jointly by us and another farmer. The JD is his. Since it has the control box and GPS and dual wheels it's a lot of hassle to put it on the Deutz for our few acres of corn. Plenty sticky enough still but glad the fert is on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Picked up a set of cambridge rolls that we bought of a local farmer. More old iron! This will become a new project. Of course I had to use the Deutz. No other tractor would pull the trailer. Farmers own Ford 5000. Very tidy and genuine. He also has a 4000. I believe the 5000 clocked about 6000 hours. Some farmers in the area started field work this week. Drilling sugar beet and spring wheat/barley. We had originally intended to drill our own beet today but found it to wet still. Hopefully next week if we don't get to much rain. The contractor will have less to drill as a decision has been made that we'll quit growing fodder beet for the cattle and will try maize for the first time this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPN Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Farmers own Ford 5000. Very tidy and genuine. He also has a 4000. I believe the 5000 clocked about 6000 hours. Some farmers in the area started field work this week. Drilling sugar beet and spring wheat/barley. We had originally intended to drill our own beet today but found it to wet still. Hopefully next week if we don't get to much rain. The contractor will have less to drill as a decision has been made that we'll quit growing fodder beet for the cattle and will try maize for the first time this year. Dual Power and Load Monitor on a 5000? That's a new one on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 18, 2012 Author Share Posted March 18, 2012 She does indeed. I don't think I have seem another but seems this is just original? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractortim Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 its nice to see that you look after your tractors its always sad to hear about crop problems its always to late once there in the shed to do anything about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 25, 2012 Author Share Posted March 25, 2012 (edited) Finally some action in the field. Drilling onions today and trying to forget that last years crop is still in the shed and causing trouble! The David Brown 770 and Stanhay onion drill. The beds are 225cm wide (90 inches). The onion seed. We were drilling the varietys Hybelle and Donna. Both yellow/brown varietys. Spot the seed! Luckily this is good moisture retaining soil so we don't need to roll it in. Edited March 25, 2012 by Niels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Little potato update: The Victoria potatoes left last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Finally! Money in the pocket, or whatever there is left with € 20,00/tonne (. The first five loads are going for export since the have been turned down by the factory for chips. Rest was alright luckily so the contract is somewhat filled. Everyone sort of happy(ish). We will load up the remaining onions tomorrow and spread them over a field of maize stubble using a hired muck spreader. Sad to see a years worth of investment and labour ending up like this. But we're glad we got rid of them! Plenty of people don't know what to do and have to sell them to biogas plants pay 2-3 cents/kg to take them away! Spreading and ploughing them under will hopefully be cheaper. No pictures I am afraid as I wasn't around for the potato loading and won't be around tomorrow as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdc Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Bad news Niels, but at least drilling this years crop will help to take your mind off things. Are you saying the final price was only €20/tonne? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robbo Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 20 euro per tonne :of > I am sure we got £40/tonne in 1980, that is really low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Believe it or not but from all the onions we sold (not sure how much exactly, couple hundred tonnes) we had FIVE HUNDRED euros. Say £450ish. Seed costs for 1 hectare are around the €700 mark. And we grow 7 ha of the stuff (! The previous year (2010) the price was € 290/tonne! My mate said 'if it hits 300 i'll sell the lot!' You want to know what they were sold for? €110/tonne. It's a massive gamble! Stay away from farming kids, ha ha!. It should have a health sticker on it like cigarettes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) Managed to get some photo's of the sad affair after all today: Trusty Mitsu forklift loading the onions for the very last time! Deutz doing well on the muck spreader. Some might recognise it was shown before earlier in my blog. Owned by a contractor but we hired it. Doing a good job of spreading the onions. Just a shame it had to happen! Edited March 30, 2012 by Niels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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