Oakley Farms Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 The small list of jobs to do before harvest has turned into a rather large one, it could be less than 5 weeks before our combines start rolling which was a bit of a shock, still we have made some progress this last week, firstly with the upgrade of our 4 year old 6930, 4200 hours on the clock it was time to see it retire, so a 6120r joins the fleet to take over as Joe's tractor, being shared at harvest time, main roles include grain and spud carting, topping, hedgetrimming, rolling, seed carting, a general run around tractor, we didnt need anything too fancy so it has no Trimble but does have the new DirectDrive gearbox as oppose to AutoPowr. The 69 has gone back to the dealership and is due for Export in Nov, it maybe hired back at Harvest with a student starting in July Steve has had a busy week in the workshop firstly fitting track eradicators to the Rapid for this years drilling season Next he set about removing the Biodrill from the Horsch Tiger to leave a 6 metre rough cultivator to cope with trash and heavier ground, this will act towards the move over to CTF this Autumn, its a steady transition period with a year at 6 metres before the full 12metre shallow cultivations can begin, 6 metres will still be used in certain conditions, and crops will be drilled this Autumn at 8 metres so things are beginning to make the move but it takes time to improve the soil structure before we can rely on 3 inch passes or Direct Drilling, its all coming together slowly with the improvement of Organic Matter (compost & chicken litter) and cover crops. The Tiger will be another weapon in our cultivation box, something Oakley has suffered in the past is not enough options when it came to cultivations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 The next job is to fit the Biodrill to the 6 metre Flatlift and use it to drill rape this year, the Flatlift is going through a refurbishment with Shakerator legs being scrapped and Sumo type legs fitted with winged feet and a respray, then we will fit the seeder unit with the seed being dropped behind the leg at 70cm spacings hopefully improving establishment further and slotting in between 12 metre CTF lines and the rape acreage being subsoiled each year, many benefits! Marks on irrigation duties, two gates have been put up at the entrance to improve security at night but a fence is to be put up either side just to finish off. Finally we have had a local farm cleaning company in to wash out the grain store and all trailers, and sanitised ready for harvest, yards were done at the same time ready for Open Farm Sunday next week 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 nice updates Alex,but your yard is to clean mate!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 nice updates Alex,but your yard is to clean mate!!!!!! we pride ourselves on a "clean" company image, helps portray the right picture to our customers, makes working life easier, being a LEAF Demo farm with visitors on site regularly tidiness is a must! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted June 7, 2014 Share Posted June 7, 2014 its like a hospital mate,very clean,credit to you though,do you have a yard brush? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 7, 2014 Author Share Posted June 7, 2014 its like a hospital mate,very clean,credit to you though,do you have a yard brush? Yes we do, it fits on the bucket for the JCB, good for the yards and grain store Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Nice update again Alex. How is your quest for a baling and spreading contractor getting along? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted June 8, 2014 Share Posted June 8, 2014 Tidy yard is a credit to the Farm & its staff, Nice storyline to follow be interesting too see the CTF progress. looks like you have a fair few spud box's in that yard. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 8, 2014 Author Share Posted June 8, 2014 Nice update again Alex. How is your quest for a baling and spreading contractor getting along? We have a few irons in the fire, two local contractors have applied for the contract which i need to get in touch with but both have no bale chasers, at the moment its looking like local man Peter Thomas will complete the bailing with his Fendt 724 and Krone Bigpack, spreading will be undertaken by Bragg Agricultural Services with a 939 and Strautmann spreader, the collecting of bales is still to be sorted, would be nice if i could keep to one contractor to do the job lot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Nice update again,What drill will you use to direct drill Alex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 We are looking at a 12 metre Horsch Sprinter or Pronto DC, the only 12metre drills currently available to UK spec Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted June 10, 2014 Share Posted June 10, 2014 There's also the Väderstad Seed Hawk, Lemken Solitair, Amazone (various models), Dale Eco Drill, Sumo DTS. Some hefty building skills required though to make any of them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 12, 2014 Author Share Posted June 12, 2014 Agreed however there are only 3 12 metre drills currently in the UK, a tricky and complex build for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 The sprayer is busy with T3 sprays completed last week and weekly blight spraying continuing, chatting to the agronomist yesterday reckoning dessicating Rape in around 14-20 days with Glyphosate and a Pod Stick. Crops are looking well with some of the best rape we have grown, great Autumn establishment, flowered very well in spring, nice and tall, has branched out well and not much weed, all set for a good harvest. Elsewhere on farm the wildflower margins sown in March for Leaf and Operation Pollination for bee's are looking stunning! This week we had an outing to Cereals in Cambridge, always a great day, spent time with Bateman, Horsch, Vaderstad, and free lunch in the Frontier stand! Meanwhile back on farm i have finally got round to cladding in the last shed to finish off the buildings and tie it all in with the rest of the farm, the machinery shed with added sky lights Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 Pictures from Open Farm Sunday Tesco and Greenvale advertising in the entrance Our main entrance Smart Agri Services had a stand just inside the gate raffling John Deere scale tractors and merchandise Next up was Tractor Ally where our fleet was lined up for all to sit in and have photographs taken Guess the weight of the lorry competition courtesy of M Way & Son Guided tractor tours around the estate including Oakley Hall, The Park, The Lakes, Wild flower margins and the different crops. Home made steps for access to the trailer complete with mini straw bales as seats Curtainsider came in handy as a stage for The Wurzels tribute band Branston Potatoes had a stand with Potato Tasting which was a hit along with Mark Bonnings lorry for sitting in Next up was the story of Wheat from Drilling to Spraying and Harvest with the kit and information posts with the operators to explain how it ends up on the table as bread Final pic was the Frontier Stand who help sponsor the event Other attractions included "Crafts in the Coldstore", nature trail and quiz for kids, learn to weld in the workshop and a thrashing demo in the grainstore along with some cows and sheep from a neighbouring farm 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractorboyjules1977 Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 very impressive line up and perfect weather for it alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 Cheers Julian, not something we will do every year, possibly every other Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Very good Alex mate like the open farm day , the mrs & me spent an afternoon at the local Co-op farm & there open day on same lines as your s set up - so its getting harder to tell the diff from the real thing / model set up thats for sure 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 What a great comment, cheers Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted June 15, 2014 Share Posted June 15, 2014 Nice story and pictures again Alex. What's up with the milk churns at the entrance?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 15, 2014 Author Share Posted June 15, 2014 Nice story and pictures again Alex. What's up with the milk churns at the entrance?? Meant to be putting flowers in the top of them to make it look nice but at the mo they are full up with gravel to block the gap between the gates and the trees until we have a fence put up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 17, 2014 Author Share Posted June 17, 2014 Steve's in the workshop this week, we have given the flatlift a respray and retro-fitted sumo type legs with different feet, feet that create lift and bust compaction but dont bring as much soil to the suface, this should help land we have a problem with resistant weeds such as blackgrass when drilling rape direct as it doesnt allow seeds to germinate, less surface soil disturbance. Here we are trying to fit the bio drill tank on 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted June 17, 2014 Share Posted June 17, 2014 Will a disc coulter run behind the packer for planting then Cambridge roll the paddock down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted June 18, 2014 Share Posted June 18, 2014 (edited) I reckon it'll just chuck the seed down a pipe behind the leg and roll it in? Will that tractor stay in front of it? Edited June 18, 2014 by Niels 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted June 18, 2014 Author Share Posted June 18, 2014 I reckon it'll just chuck the seed down a pipe behind the leg and roll it in? Will that tractor stay in front of it? Thats correct, we are in talks currently with Techneat to work out how to keep a contastsnt seed depth as we want a narrow band rather than broadcasting it, then a roll in. One of the new Challengers will sit on the front of it, with the bigger legs and feet on it, 6 metres will take some hp at depth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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