Oakley Farms Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Your a brave man Alex dismantling a Perard,?? Regards Joe. Got to have a challenge Joe! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Drilling now going well this afternoon, variety is KWS Santiago 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Killer pictures as per.......... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 I reckon that half of what a diorama makes interesting is the story's and thoughts that go behind them. I think you have hit the nail on the head here Alex, fantastic! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Agree, well said Niels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Have you got any detailed shots of the potato storage Alex? Or is that still empty on the inside? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 I reckon that half of what a diorama makes interesting is the story's and thoughts that go behind them. I think you have hit the nail on the head here Alex, fantastic! Thanks Niels, i try to keep the information and stories as realistic as possible, i think working on a farm really helps as you can transfer real life happenings into 1/32. As for the potato storage, im still working on that, as i have only recently built this diorama its one of the jobs later on down my list but yes i do plan to put in fridge units and vents along with boxes, perhaps a winter job when I'm a but quieter! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted September 26, 2013 Share Posted September 26, 2013 It really helps if your involved in real life farming of course. Things like the varietys, seed rates, croppings and cultivation/drilling regimes can be thought out in a more realistic manner. When I was still a full time carpet farmer I would apply my knowledge gained by interrogating farmers and reading farming magazines. Made it more realistic for me. My mum always felt I should move outdoors during summer when I was combining. She wouldn't understand it couldn't be done in January! Looking at your other work on the grain store etc.. I am really looking forward to the potato box storage. Keep up the pictures and stories! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 So whats been happening down on Oakley Farms lately, well the pack house has been up and running with 4/5 fridge lorry loads of washed and packed salad spuds going out every night, transport is at night so to keep disruption to other farm activities to a minimum, we have 1 load a night to Branston Potatoes just up the road, 1 to Greenvale Tern Hill site, 1 to Greenvale floods-ferry site and the last to Branston's Scottish site, we have capacity to get up to 6 loads a night, currently we have deliveries to the four corners of the UK, Cornwall was a no go area with two major growers there already. Only the Salad potatoes are washed and packed on site which is a short lived affair and doesn't make a great deal of money but does bring in some early revenue! Also Mason Bros have been in taking low grade potatoes for Asda value pack, it is important to have a market for your High and low grade produce, which sometimes means on the spot sales. However most of the potatoes grown here are sold on contract to Branston who pack for Tesco which we will haul up to the factory ourselves in the winter being only 4 miles away, and the rest are packed by Greenvale for Sainsbury's, they will be hauled by Bonnings Transport to Shropshire. So the bulk of the main crop will be put into cold storage until December when we try and catch a slice of the xmas market. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 We had a few wet days last week so Mark took the opportunity to bring the harvester back to the yard for a spot of maintenance Maurice and Dan started hauling a new variety of potatoes called Jelly to a neighbouring farmers cold-store to be gassed (this stops them sprouting) Oakley Farms is part of 4 growers in the South West that make up 4000t of Jelly contract for Greenvale, all 4 farms will haul their Jelly into this storage farm for gassing so not to contaminate other stores that could be used for seed in the spring, we borrowed C P Farms bailey flatbed again to speed up the process 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted October 8, 2013 Share Posted October 8, 2013 Great updates, you balance the two different scales well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 8, 2013 Author Share Posted October 8, 2013 Great updates, you balance the two different scales well Thanks James, some careful photography! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 (edited) Nice update again, was keeping a close eye for one since I got hooked onto this thread . Nice to see the Jelly potatoes but I would have preferred Melody myself, unless your going for big tubers. What other variety's are grown on the farm and how is the gassing done? Edited October 9, 2013 by Niels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MB Trac Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 This is a great thread. Very nice job indeed with the layout. Some nice looking kit too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 (edited) Nice update again, was keeping a close eye for one since I got hooked onto this thread . Nice to see the Jelly potatoes but I would have preferred Melody myself, unless your going for big tubers. What other variety's are grown on the farm and how is the gassing done? We grow Charlotte, Jelly, Sylvana , Estima and Harmony, trying 10 acres of Melody next year The gassing is done literally by a chap coming in with a pick up with a tank on the back where the chemical is mixed, he shuts the door down with his pipe under it and blows in the fog, depending on store size its a quick job, where i used to work a store of 800t took 45mins Edited October 13, 2013 by Oakley Farms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Aha yes we did it very similar only used hand held gas guns. Would do it through the back door and then front door on a 700T bulk store. Then just have to wait when one of the locals is going to ring the cops as they thought the shed's on fire. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 (edited) We have now finished digging our own spuds and are on the last 80 acres for nieghbouring Cadury Park Farm, they haul there own potatoes to keep costs down, we plant, dig, grade, store and market them as a service They had a small Valtra on hauling but it was being pushed about by the trailers so we decided to leave it in the yard and use it as a tipping tractor so the others can just come in dump a loaded trailer, hitch up an empty and return to the field quicker, its quite a long haul so this should keep the harvester going, its slow progress at the mo as heavier soil and wetter conditions slowing both harvester and grader up, now stopped because of rain! Edited October 23, 2013 by Oakley Farms 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 Although the wet weather has put a stop to finishing the potato harvest it has allowed us to get on and finish alot of those small jobs around the yard, firstly we installed a new water tank for sprayer filling, water comes in from rainwater harvesting off shed roofs and treated biobed water (which i will come to in a bit) and fills the tank on-top the chemical store where it is then pumped through the wall and into the sprayer bay through pipes 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 A few small jobs that have happened, the topdown and carrier have been washed, greased and put away for winter A new IBC of AdBlue arrived and was put in the workshop A few second hand elevators have been purchased ready for the new grading line that goes in next year, these will need modifications in the workshop Drilling has nearly finished all bar 50 acres, the drill and remaining seed have been put in the dry in the grain store what with the yard being so cluttered with trailers and boxes! Finally Cadbury Park Farm have finished hauling empty boxes into the yard, we are hoping this should be enough to finish if it ever stops raining! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 The builders have now finished the Biobed, this is used for sprayer washings, the sprayer returns the first 2 wash outs to the field where the remaining chemical will do some good, but the 3rd wash out will get dropped into the grid at the front of the Biobed where it gets pumped through layers of organic matter and compost which breaks down the chemicals and catches them allowing clean water to be pumped back to the sprayer filling tank, we have also made a grid in the filling bay so that any spillages that occur during filling are also pumped through the Biobed, this is a safe way of dealing with chemical spillages and also environmentally friendly, at this moment in time the farm is being verified to become a LEAF (linking environment and farming) demonstration farm showing good farming practises whilst caring for the environment 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 Love the effort you put into this lay out,I realy enjoy this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 very nice Alex,as allways, great layout Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael6270 Posted November 3, 2013 Share Posted November 3, 2013 this is a great layout and the biobeds a good idea 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 Its all quiet on the western front here at Oakley, spuds are now finished im glad to say! The last 80 acres were tough going and the cheap second harvester we bought really helped. Last week we washed the kit off ready to be serviced sometime later in the winter, the trailers have retired for now returning to the trailer park The harvesters have been left outside for the time being with all the lads on a well deserved weeks holiday, its been down to me to load lorries this week being short staffed! I have also had the Claas rep in the office trying to twist my arm about a new Lexion, having already bought another 770 to cope with next years extra acreage i wasn't planning on buying two this year, usually swap combines in every 5 years however a local farmer is very interested in the first 770 i bought, now 2 years old with 7000 acres under its belt, have to see what special deals he can come up with! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CX820Joe Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Hmmm...could a Lexion 780 be coming Oakley's way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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