justy 46 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Great updates Ol..The F115 on rowcrops is a nice convo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Damp day on the plains today with 20 ml over the last day or so freed up a bit of time to attend a cereal growers meeting to discuss the future of grain marketing. With a huge cuts to the feed grain market due to the poor returns from the dairy sector and maize and wheat coming in the country from as far away as the eastern block and the local flour mills having limited scope to take more tonnes there was plenty to talk about as most of the growers were specialist seed growers in the same boat as Eastbank. The merchants key advice was 1 dumping grain into an already depressed market isn't helping the industry aka yourself 2 target your market and contract your grain forward were you can in the coming season. Back on the farm rye grass paddocks have been sold this week to a stock farmer for grazing as there's no demand for grass silage in the near future. 2 pounds per mouth per lamb is better than nothing while I stall for time deciding on the area of milling wheat and feed barley to plant. So long as the barley/wheat is in by the mid may there isn't a loss in yield and the lambs will be gone by then any way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeere6910 Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 Sounds like the markets are depressed in NZ at the moment Ol. With the forward contracts for wheat would you do a budget for the cost of production then aim to fix a forward price a COP+ acceptable profit and does the current wheat price allow you to do this? Also how do you sell the grass? Is it on a price per ha basis or price/head/day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted March 18, 2015 Share Posted March 18, 2015 That's interesting Niels, do you know the gap between the rows? I've often thought about with the help of gps, moving the beds over 1/2 a bed on the 2nd year onions so the fertile soil were the wheels were when growing on 1.5 mtr beds is in the center for year 2 so the onions that tend to struggle in the center of the bed will have more fert under them. Although light and space are the main reason for smaller onions in the center it would be interesting to see if it evened the crop out much if any. Your thoughts? You mean you will grow onions twice during one year Ol? Some double cropping was (or used to be) done here with potatoes but not any more. Have seen it in the UK as well. Rotation for onions usually is 1 in 4 up to 1 in 7. I can see your reason for moving beds. It would perhaps help but I think the effect of the compacted subsoil due to traffic would lock up nutrients and actually cause less growth? I think you'd be better off precision fertilising and use CTF. For onions it works brilliantly and you get an instant + in yield. Generally over here we're using three different bed sizes. 1.50m, 2.25m and 3m. Row widths vary per bed system and even per farmer. Some like to drill double rows (3x2) others will put 5 or 6 plain rows on a bed. The organic farms often use custom row widths to fit their hoe's. If trials have shown anything it is that row widths and bed widths have surprisingly little effect on yield. At least that is the case here. An even size would be good but bigger onions are better than small ones. You don't notice massive differences here. A larger problem for us is the fact that leaf (especially with greenish crops) tends to hang in the tracks and the topper won't pick it up and top poorly. Here are some videos to the front harvester system from Holaras: http://www.holaras.nl/en/product/product/114/onion-technology-frontklapper-rooicombi-umur-front.html. In my opinion by far the best manufacturer of onion harvesters. There's Samon and Keulmac as well local to me. These are fine but a lot lighter build. The farms where I have worked all grew onions and all on 2.25m beds. They will have ten single rows. This system fits in well with our other crops. You cover a bit more ground and less wheelings so more crop in theory. However, it doesn't come to fruit in reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Sounds like the markets are depressed in NZ at the moment Ol. With the forward contracts for wheat would you do a budget for the cost of production then aim to fix a forward price a COP+ acceptable profit and does the current wheat price allow you to do this? Also how do you sell the grass? Is it on a price per ha basis or price/head/day Time will tell Pat, as the prices don't come out for while yet on new season crop. Generally we just work a price on a per tonne cost of growing the grain that we can't really go under or grow it for. True cost of production is hard to put a finger on I find. Grass is sold per head/day and they eat as much as they can, 4 weeks of picking the best out of the grass paddocks will see them ready to be killed and whats left will be ploughed down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 You mean you will grow onions twice during one year Ol? Some double cropping was (or used to be) done here with potatoes but not any more. Have seen it in the UK as well. Rotation for onions usually is 1 in 4 up to 1 in 7. I can see your reason for moving beds. It would perhaps help but I think the effect of the compacted subsoil due to traffic would lock up nutrients and actually cause less growth? I think you'd be better off precision fertilising and use CTF. For onions it works brilliantly and you get an instant + in yield. Generally over here we're using three different bed sizes. 1.50m, 2.25m and 3m. Row widths vary per bed system and even per farmer. Some like to drill double rows (3x2) others will put 5 or 6 plain rows on a bed. The organic farms often use custom row widths to fit their hoe's. If trials have shown anything it is that row widths and bed widths have surprisingly little effect on yield. At least that is the case here. An even size would be good but bigger onions are better than small ones. You don't notice massive differences here. A larger problem for us is the fact that leaf (especially with greenish crops) tends to hang in the tracks and the topper won't pick it up and top poorly. Here are some videos to the front harvester system from Holaras: http://www.holaras.nl/en/product/product/114/onion-technology-frontklapper-rooicombi-umur-front.html. In my opinion by far the best manufacturer of onion harvesters. There's Samon and Keulmac as well local to me. These are fine but a lot lighter build. The farms where I have worked all grew onions and all on 2.25m beds. They will have ten single rows. This system fits in well with our other crops. You cover a bit more ground and less wheelings so more crop in theory. However, it doesn't come to fruit in reality. Thanks for the reply, onions 2 years in a row is not uncommon here. CTF would be ideal like you say and with a bunker type harvester no trailers will roll down the beds. Agree Holaras makes some nice kit,nice people there as well,more than happy to show me what there making when I called in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Continuing into autumn sees the lambs leaving the farm and going onto be slaughtered. The last of the wheat stubble has now been burned. On the cereal cropping front to date 150t of purple milling wheat has been contracted, and will go into 20ha after spuds at the end of the month. Purple wheat plus side = has a true premium over white wheats in a year when prices are poor. Down side= purple wheat volunteers in white wheat makes milling wheat only feed grade, yields are not as good with purple wheat. With no rain for a few weeks when we got 20ml the continuing dry weather has seen alot of farms now fully out of irrigation water quota. Last years sprouted wheat has now been traded to a local dairy trying to keep milking to the end of the season (May). Maize grain looks to have done very well in the dry summer and will take all the free space left by the sprouted wheat in the grain shed and then some looking at the cobs. (Not a pickle of grain to scale.) Purple wheat seed in the trailer ready for drilling. Said wheat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.watson Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 That stubble burning picture brings back memories ol. I wish we could do it here, it cleans up so many grass weeds, and if you burn responsibly leaving goods breaks, the wildlife gets a chance to get away too. Prices are down everywhere mate, they say that the world is awash with grain after good yields world wide, but why do so many in the world go to bed hungry every night. I sometimes wonder if it might not be better for us all to abandon fertiliser worldwide and produce less, let's face it, when you take out the cost of what you put on crops to help them grow, you are no further forward really are you. The spud boys are even finding a problem moving stocks here after a really, really good harvest last autumn. Great updates to this thread by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Fascinating stuff Oliver about purple wheat, great post as well Chris, i find myself agreeing with you there, why do we need to produce double by 2050 when we can't give anything away currently, a sad situation as more farmers look towards energy crops as we can't market crops for human or feedstock consumption. If there is a food shortage, could leave us in a big hole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 7, 2015 Author Share Posted April 7, 2015 That stubble burning picture brings back memories ol. I wish we could do it here, it cleans up so many grass weeds, and if you burn responsibly leaving goods breaks, the wildlife gets a chance to get away too. Prices are down everywhere mate, they say that the world is awash with grain after good yields world wide, but why do so many in the world go to bed hungry every night. I sometimes wonder if it might not be better for us all to abandon fertiliser worldwide and produce less, let's face it, when you take out the cost of what you put on crops to help them grow, you are no further forward really are you. The spud boys are even finding a problem moving stocks here after a really, really good harvest last autumn. Great updates to this thread by the way. Thanks Chris, Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 A bitterly cold wind and the arrival silage contractors kit greeted the little plastic men as they came into the yard this morning with silage chopping on the agenda first off this week making way for 10ha of milling rye corn to be established sub soiling/press then Rubin/Pronto drilling more than likely. One of only 2 Fr9000 choppers (9080) sold by our local NH dealer. Well before my time this contractor has chopped silage on Eastbank with most models of chopper NH have made. Like all contractors in the province they have suffered with the drought and down turn in dairy prices and done around 70% less silage than last years bumper season. This year will be the last year the farm grows maize,not helping there case. The damage to the soil and nutrient removal/ irrigation requirement are all part and parcel with growing maize silage but the returns the last few years due to cool seasons and now low price have meant returns only the same as an avg crop of wheat so it will be dropped for now untill the price is back were it needs to be. No point growing what nobody wants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeere6910 Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Nice chopper Ol. Is the use of trucks for leading silage common practice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 13, 2015 Author Share Posted April 13, 2015 Nice chopper Ol. Is the use of trucks for leading silage common practice? Trucks are popular yes Pat, exp on long hauls. With tractors getting faster and huge loader wagons becoming more popular tractors and trailers can be seen carting silage exp in steep/wet areas of the north island and down in the far south. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 nice update Ol,nice to see a nh forager rather than claas for a change Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 nice update Ol,nice to see a nh forager rather than claas for a change Thanks Paul, I stripped it down put NH yellow paint on and detailed it. The 9080 decals don't like sticking and peal off from time to time letting it down abit. To keep things life like I've modeled the same chopper that works here in real life. That contractor is the only one for miles with a NH chopper it's mostly Claas choppers here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted April 14, 2015 Share Posted April 14, 2015 I second that it does look very good! Nice truck as well. Similar issues with my Britains FR. Somehow stands out nicer with the red Kemper and a little more realistic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 This week saw the first frosts of the year. Snap beans vined and Potatoes now all lifted with both party's happy with the amount of compaction and final yield of 75t/ha of table potatoes graded off the paddock. The grower has made noises about growing a bigger area of spuds on Eastbank next spring after seeing these soils perform in a dry season and effort we put into growing the crops, at this stage there isn't a lot of options to grow for the coming season with the higher risk vs reward type profits we tend to go for so anywhere up to 80ha of potatoes may end up being grown as one off dash for the cash while the lease price is strong off the back of a record year with spuds. Few pictures depicting subsoil preparation for wheat were bean leaves/pods have been well mixed in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Birds eye view of the Great Plains (USA) subsoiler and home built press. 7 low disturbance legs over 4mtrs to avoid bringing up the clay subsoil or gravel subsoil as is the case on the contracted farmed land. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdeere6910 Posted April 17, 2015 Share Posted April 17, 2015 That press looks amazing Ol, how did you make the levelling boards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 17, 2015 Author Share Posted April 17, 2015 Thanks Pat,kind of you to say. It's simple really, one ram to go from transport to flexi coil or take the stop out of the ram and pull the cross board down as well if needed. Only thing I've found that looks like heavy cross boards in 1/32 is the top half of the 1/16? scale vibro flex tines sold on farmmodels.nl so I just cut them down. I went for a flexi coil instead of a the Simba DD type packer as the DD isn't as well suited to these silt soils when worked at this time of the year. (As you saw when you were cultivating here) if the land needs more compaction I'd run my rollex roller over the paddock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchfarmer Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Nice models! and area on the pictures! been there a few months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 missed this Ol,cracking build mate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted April 23, 2015 Share Posted April 23, 2015 Thats a fair sunsoiling outfit there Ol, take much pulling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted April 23, 2015 Author Share Posted April 23, 2015 Nice models! and area on the pictures! been there a few months ago. Thank you, yes that 14ha paddock is outside my house so it's handy to make pictures there. missed this Ol,cracking build mate Thanks for your continued support/comments and what have you Paul. Thats a fair sunsoiling outfit there Ol, take much pulling? Around 250 I'm picking. I use the LD legs only 25cm deep for most crops just to pop up the wheel marks without giving the soil a huge mix/bust up like the old solo type legs. It looks alot of kit but really isn't doing alot of soil moving,just a gentle lift of the subsoil then pat it down again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Another nice update Ol. Very nice model as well, nice to see something you designed and build yourself like the press. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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