Oakley Estate Farms

[Barry]

Nice Horsch

 

[Oakley Farms]

Pulled down 88 acres of wholecrop rye stubble with the Topdown today and drilled with the seasons first cover crop mix, rolling tomorrow to preserve moisture in this hot weather. Rape is burning off lovely now, counting down the days now before the beasts roll 

[Oakley Farms]

A busy yard this week but still no harvest for us yet, Mark is getting aquatinted with the chaser, Dan is off topping and tidying verges and gateways, Phil is taking the bean coulters off the drill and replacing with rape coulters, combine header side knives are about to go on, it's all go! Not sure when we will start, possibly the weekend, possibly Monday, annual harvest inspection tomorrow with pre harvest bbq in the evening. 

[Oakley Farms]

We're up early today for the big off, Harvest 16 @Oakley Farms is upon us. Ready to rumble 

[tractorboyjules1977]

Good luck ! That's gonna empty the yard 

[Oakley Farms]

Welcome along to Oakley Harvest Log 2016

 

Day 1

Finally made a start with oilseed rape in a 214 acre block down the road from the farm at Atherstone, it has to be the most hassle free first day of harvest we have ever had, probably put down to good preparation. We are cutting DK Extrovert coming in at 7% moisture, 68 bushel, 45.5 oil and 3.6t/ha, disappointing to say the least, doesn't look like we will be struggling for shed space, really questioning the role of OSR in the rotation now. Still on the plus side the new chaser is working an absolute treat, missed one last year so it's good to be back keeping trailers on headland tramlines and gateways. Myself and Chris on combines today with Mark on the Chaser and Challenger MT875E joining us after irrigating, Alvydas and Tom on trailers with James on yard/dryer dutie. Dan is still tidying verges, and Phil getting the Carrier ready. Didn't manage to munch the whole block off today with two road moves to do tomorrow before we move to our first customer Speaks. Not in a rush at the moment as Speaks is not quite there until Wed/Thurs. Keep posted to see how we progress on the start of my favourite part of the farming calendar

[Oakley Farms]

Harvest Log Day 2

Another good day had today, munched off the last 34 acres at Atherstone by lunchtime before moving the whole team through Ilminster to the next farm, Speaks. 410 acres to do here and just back in the yard at 22:30 tonight after roughly 150 acres off. Had a visit in the combine from Julian the boss of Orchard Farms & Contractors to have a catch up and chat about harvest. Philip got going on the Challenger MT-C with Cultivating Solutions RLM and Carrier to work over the top of yesterday's rape stubble at Atherstone to create a chit, hopefully he will catch us up but won't be tomorrow with blight spraying on potatoes to do. Some pics from the day of location, Webby weighing out in the old 828, Alvydas grabbing a sample before tipping into intake 1 and the heap so far. Catch you all again tomorrow! 

[Stabliofarmer]

Dio's looking good as usual, glad to hear harvest is going well

[Oakley Farms]

Thanks mate, good to have you along

[0025]

hopefully nice smooth harvest for you, with all that kit!

[B O R]

fantastic as always

[smithy]

Good to see you are off with your rape ,mines not done very well as with a bit of pigeon damage then last week 28mil of rain and hail-stones in a 30 minute spell knocked all the top pods off so am a bit disappointed with harvest so far and the bushel weight on the barley is down allow I have not had mine tested yet fingers crossed the wheat will be a bit better 

[Oakley Farms]

Same story down here Smithy, missed the hail storm but rape very disappointing as is the barley around here, wheat looking promising, what's yours looking like? Thanks all for the kind comments so far too, it is appreciated

[Oakley Farms]

Harvest Log day 3&4

Team worked on late tonight to finish off Speaks farm before the rain arrived, not too much forcast but could be enough to be annoying. Combines now hidden out of sight and if fine tomorrow we'll have a go at Osbornes which is literally across the road, 178 acres to do with only one move so hopefully in a day of all goes well. We started today clearing the last of the block up by Merryfield airfield before the final block down at Broadway Road, this is next door to our Shepody spuds at Parsonage which are marked by the five top fields on the second map without red markers. 700 acres knocked up so far this week, another week and rape is done, just in time for the wheat I reckon 

[smithy]

On ‎28‎/‎07‎/‎2016 at 9:44 AM, Oakley Farms said:

Same story down here Smithy, missed the hail storm but rape very disappointing as is the barley around here, wheat looking promising, what's yours looking like? Thanks all for the kind comments so far too, it is appreciated

yes I have some LEEDS wheat on some light land that looks good but till the combine moves in and get a true sample it all guess work and hopes the same applies for the Gator feed wheat I have looks good from the road but the bushel weight will be the important part and the higher the bushel weight the better the yield . We have just had 3 days of showers with a couple more to come but all we need is 2or3 sunny days and we will be cutting the wheat

[Tractorman810]

so that was you lot working along side the 303 on monday,i had to go up to yeovil to pick some new kit up and saw the lexions working away, prob the first working combines i have seen this year, plenty of cut stuff seen, just none working till now

[chris.watson]

Great updates Alex, barley all over Essex is thin with a low weight this year. Ours was between 62 and 65 but it made malting spec for beer. Just made it over the line for retention. Rape around here is full of flea beetle, the trailers are covered when unloading from the combine. We will be into Dickens wheat in a couple of days if it stays dry, but the forecast isn't good up here for the week ahead.

[Oakley Farms]

Fantastic to hear how you guys are getting on across the country, no sign of flee beetle down here luckily, anybody giving it up or sticking with it, unsure what to do here, winter barley is tempting but after the yield reports this year I'm not so sure?

[Oakley Farms]

Harvest Log Day 5&6

Osborne's cleared on Friday with no trouble, Today we moved back onto home turf, firstly up at Moolham for just over 100 acres, brashy soil up here south of Ilminster. Around 3:30pm we moved to a 196 acre block right up behind the farm, very steep ground finishing tonight in a field called Park Close. Combines back in the yard tonight for re fuelling since we are so close. 5 more fields to do up here tomorrow and then up the road to Bay Hill. Rain forecast Monday so we'll see how we get on, unlikely to finish up there. Other stuff happening on farm at the minute is Phil direct drilling cover crop mix behind us at Speak's, being rolled in by Tom, Dan's on seed carting, this is working well at the minute with the combines so close to the grain store one/two trailers is ample freeing up the guys. Not sure how we'll get on when we move right to the other end of our area next week with 300 acres of cover crop still to put in but cross that bridge when we get to it. 

[dave the farmer]

Tidy yard,like the chaser bin.

[Oakley Farms]

Harvest Log a Day 7

Another smashing day, half of Bay Hill done on the right hand side of the Ilminster road, a good place to stop for the night, all kit back to the ranch tonight and packed away in the grain store ready for the wet day tomorrow. Speak's finished drilling today and Webby is on the 2nd shift tonight to get this rolled in. Orchard contractors booked in tomorrow to spread compost at Atherstone, hopefully won't make too much mess.

[weblet375]

All v good alex good luck to all

[Oakley Farms]

Monday 1st August came in like a Lion! Heavy rain made its present at 11.30am, still managed to munch off 20 acres in the morning the other side of the road up at Bay Hill. Let's hope this month goes out like a Lamb for the majority! Still gave us chance to get all the kit up together in the afternoon. Tuesday the 2nd saw compost being spread at Atherstone for the 2nd day, got going drilling cover crop at Osbornes, going in a treat on the heavy land after that rain. First OSR volunteers showing through now. Not a great deal else moving except the other handler and OSR outgoing  

[Oakley Farms]

Harvest Log Day 8

Got going this afternoon back up at Bay Hill once the moisture dropped off after lunch, 50 acres and that's the block finished, respectable time to finish so combines blown down and serviced, along with the chaser ready for a big day tomorrow. Moving up to the very Far East of our patch right up the A303 to Yarlington for 375 acres for Paul Longman. Extra trailers on tomorrow for the long haul, all 4 of our new additions, Richard Western RC16's for extra capacity, perfect for higher distance land blocks, very pleased with them, stay tuned in the next 4/5 days to see the back of the rape, however tomorrow's first stop is 60 acre field Pear Tree.

[Oakley Farms]

Harvest Log day 9&10

All went well up at Cadbury, a fustrating first day and a half with performance due to small fields and lots of header changes but after north town farm about 5-6 o clock last night got into the last block over at Yarlington, 80 acres without taking the header off makes a difference, well done to the whole team for staying on until 11pm last night to keep us on target, was determined to get out of Yarlington in two days! Now just down the road to Camelot for the last of the rape, DK Extrovert....The wheat is calling and so is the phone!