Oakley Farms Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 The Oakley wash bay opens for business! Another little addition is a small lean too shed off the extension to house the pressure washer, we thought this would be an ideal area to wash kit down being right next to the biobed allowing dirty contaminated water to be filtered through it On a sadder note the pack house is not doing well, we have closed off two of the lines letting staff go and have blocked off two of the loading bays now running 4 rather than 6, seems to be costing more than making money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 Yesterday Mark finished the week off by going to Hamblys to collect and bring back the new Albutt man crate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted January 25, 2014 Share Posted January 25, 2014 That's cool Alex, did you make that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted January 25, 2014 Author Share Posted January 25, 2014 That's cool Alex, did you make that? No i didn't its another one of Three Oaks Farm Models creations after putting in an order Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 Last week Steve spent some time on the drill ahead of 700 acres of spring besns to drill in March, first washing it off in the wash bay Then backing it in the workshop to repair a few punctures, and the marker arm bushes have worn and are sloppy so need some attention Then a grease up and she is ready if it ever stops raining. February is now here and I'm itching to put some early Nitrogen on the rape but its still too wet under foot, i can see us heading out with the mounted spinner before we attempt to pull 6 ton around in the trailed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 This week Oakley Farms is playing host to the Potato Council and Syngenta SW Potato Day for South West Growers, where growers from Cornwall right up to Hereford come for Meetings, Workshops & Demonstrations on a range of subjects from soil to minimising bruising. Some local machinery dealers are exhibiting some kit in the yard Smart Agricultural Services are using our Grimme Harvester, Destoner, Front Topper & have brought in a tractor on row crops to show Root Systems are showing off our Grimme Bedtiller, Standern 3 bed Topper & Horstine Front Tank Compass Tractors have brought over a Demo 939 in black 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 some nice kit there, is that the uh valderstad drill?? it looks wider than mine unless its just my eyes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 2, 2014 Author Share Posted February 2, 2014 some nice kit there, is that the uh valderstad drill?? it looks wider than mine unless its just my eyes Yes it is the base from the Uh Vaderstad drill, 8 metres Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted February 2, 2014 Share Posted February 2, 2014 Top rate farm you've there Alex. Be interesting to see how the drill runs in the wet conditions. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Always a nice read about Oakley Farms. Have said it before but will do again it's the lifelike story's that come with the models that make it interesting to read. Where do you get your information from Alex? Do you work/live on the real life Oakley Estate or is it all made up in your head? Hopefully spring work can start shortly with N and sprays on rape and wheat! What sprayer is used on the farm, is it the Challenger Rogator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Always a nice read about Oakley Farms. Have said it before but will do again it's the lifelike story's that come with the models that make it interesting to read. Where do you get your information from Alex? Do you work/live on the real life Oakley Estate or is it all made up in your head? Hopefully spring work can start shortly with N and sprays on rape and wheat! What sprayer is used on the farm, is it the Challenger Rogator? Thanks for the comments Niels, well i use a mixture of sources to get information, some is knowledge from the farms i have worked on after being a tractor & sprayer operator on a 1000 acre arable farm, some i get from magazines like farmers weekly, arable farmer etc, the inspiration for the farm was taken from several large farms, solely based on Dillington Farms & Estate, the contract farming side of things and controlled traffic farming has come from PX Farms & Flawborough Farms, both pioneers in agriculture in my opinion, finally events and things i take inspiration from where i work now, Frogmary Green Farm, check out the website, www.frogmarygreenfarm.co.uk Spraying is done by the Challenger Rogator, and when we are busy a contractor helps out with a Amazon trailed, a Bateman RB35 is on order to replace the Rogator hopefully this time next year Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 That sums it up then, thank you for the explanation! Looks a nice farm that you work on, good friend of mine also has arable and chickens. The maize cobs seems a nice idea, i'll show him. Why do you want the Challenger Rogator, because it's to heavy or you just fancy a Bateman? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 You hit the nail on the head there, it is just too heavy, big and clumsy, talking model wise it doesnt tick all the boxes for me, the booms are flimsy and not detailed and the steering is loose, i have always liked Bateman's, popular sprayer in the UK, although i was very impressed with the new Knight i saw at Lamma 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractorboyjules1977 Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 super job alex keeping us all entertained !!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 8, 2014 Author Share Posted February 8, 2014 Oakley Farms has purchased a 16 ton curtainsided trailer for the transport of boxed potatoes to Branston, to cut haulage costs, it will also come in handy to haul seed & fertiliser around however its first job is to collect 10 pallets of milk powder and deliver to the flooded farms on the Somerset Levels, doing our bit! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fenside MF Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 nice new trailer Alex,I've not seen a bailey curtain side before Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 9, 2014 Author Share Posted February 9, 2014 nice new trailer Alex,I've not seen a bailey curtain side before No they are pretty new Jamie, special builds for nursery & veg growers, they are on their website now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry Posted February 9, 2014 Share Posted February 9, 2014 Fantastic update as always, brilliant trailer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 So we are into February now and we feel we really should be out doing something, so Phil has been out today putting Nitrogen on the Rape but only the dryish ground, he has the mounted spinner on Joes 69 as his new one still hasnt arrived yet, next week we are told! Joe is planning on ventering out with the sprayer tomorrow as the spinning travelled relatively well making little mess. The pack house has finished packing salads now with all Charlotte now sold, spuds are flying out the yard now with a load a day up to Greenvale and Maurice on hauling 3 loads of 16 boxes up to Branston a day, the verdict is positive on the curtainsider and got the thumbs up from a happy Maurice this morning saving him sheeting down the flatbed in the rain! Mark is working on his spud planter in the workshop along with Steve still working on the drill. Cash flow is still very tight at the moment and machinery heading into the yard in the next coming weeks have all been pre orders awaiting delivery. We hope this situation is relieved before planting and diesel starts to be burnt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 what new machinery is due them Alex? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 We have Phil's new JD 6210r, a Richard Larrington root king trailer, and combine number 2 is due as well, Lexion 770, all ordered last year, sign writing is also an addition happening soon. The biggest piece will be the new Tong Peal Caretaker 1800 grading line where modifications will be made to the grading shed to accommodate this piece of kit, never a dull moment at Oakley Farms! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 10, 2014 Author Share Posted February 10, 2014 Another change that has happened is the Estate has purchased another farm to the north of Somerset near Wincanton, Barrow Brook Farm is around 2000 acres of complete arable land, a farm manager has been found to run this, Jack Pollard from the former Cadbury Park Farm (was sold off) is the man for the job, working closely with Oakley Farms as a team, 80 acres of Oakleys spuds will be grown up there as part of Barrows rotation, in return Jack will Bale all straw for us, spread poultry litter & compost and is also the other half of the joint contract farming partnership at North Cadbury Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy6930 Posted February 10, 2014 Share Posted February 10, 2014 What kind of planter do you have? what Greenvale sight do your potatoes go to? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 What kind of planter do you have? what Greenvale sight do your potatoes go to? We have a Grimme GL32B prototype version, i would like to move over to a new belt planter at some point, and the spuds go to mainly Greenvales Tern Hill Site with some going to Floods Ferry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Surprised your spreading fertiliser Alex. How is the weather now in Somerset with you? What soil types do you farm, must be all light land? 2000 acres is a lot of land. Are there external investors behind Oakley Farms, how is all finance dealt with? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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