The Stooks Farm

[graham]

About the Stooks Farm

Perrywood Faversham

Kent.

Been farming hops and fruit since 1931. 280 acres altogether, 100 acres of hops, 157 acres of apples, 6 acres of woodland and 17 acres of grass. Small herd of sussex suckler cows. Supply hops to the brewers in the uk and all over the world through a marketing company in Paddock Wood. Supply eating apples to Waitrose and Sainsburys through East Kent packers in Faversham. Supply cider apples to Bulmers and Magners, supply homebrew hops on line to homebrewers all over the world. The farm has a turnover of 1.6million 2015-2016. The pictures are of disc harrowing in the dwarf hop garden. There will be a few more pics once we get going.

[Pete]

This looks good and nice to see something really different. Are you involved in a similar business yourself?

[graham]

thanks pete just thought I would do something different ,the model is based around a few farms in the area that I live .a lot of equipment will be scratch built over the next few months the dwarf hop garden being part of that they will be harvested by a converted grape harvesterwhich straddles the rows ,there are some converted black current  harvesters that do this job as well in the real world , I am still working installing milking parlours and building dairy units around the south east not involved with hops and fruit [don't mind a beer thou need them hops] they say they are a difficult crop to grow lot of money tied up in the infrastructure for growing them.

[Valley Axe Man]

Nice to see a new enterprise Graham, if it's anything like your previous layouts it'll be a fantastic build and a great layout to follow  All the best to yourself and Sharon for 2017

[Wayne D]

Very nice Graham, as said above, great to see something new and different. Looking forward to seeing more of your work. 

[Pete]

23 hours ago, graham said:

thanks pete just thought I would do something different ,the model is based around a few farms in the area that I live .a lot of equipment will be scratch built over the next few months the dwarf hop garden being part of that they will be harvested by a converted grape harvesterwhich straddles the rows ,there are some converted black current  harvesters that do this job as well in the real world , I am still working installing milking parlours and building dairy units around the south east not involved with hops and fruit [don't mind a beer thou need them hops] they say they are a difficult crop to grow lot of money tied up in the infrastructure for growing them.

Have to confess I didn't read who's post it was  still brilliant to see something so different. Will it just be field diorama or buildings as well? Have you still got your last layout or has it been passed into new ownership 

[graham]

 Thanks Paul hope the year is good to you as well. Thought I would have a go at something a bit local to me, not sure how far hops stretch north but I know there are some in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, I think there is only about 50 hop growers in Great Britain so it is very niche.

Thanks Wayne for showing interest and commenting. I have still got my old layout Pete.

As I said before Ive been making a few bits for the layout, started with four self-loading hop trailers, these will be used in the traditional hop gardens which grow on high wire work held up by poles. The hop bine gets collected by the blue pipe where the bine is then taken by the rubber wheel which is hydraulically driven over a seratted knife which cuts the bine and then as the tractor drives forward it pulls the bine down and falls onto the trailer. Also made a narrow New Holland tractor and added a loader, also a few pics of the converted grape harvester which picks the dwarf hops.

[FendtFarmer]

Looking good, nice to see something different

[Paul Palmer]

looks very good and as everbody else is saying,something different

[graham]

thanks ben and paul hops where every where growing up here when I was young but the larger beers did not need the hop content in them to brew so the hops become out of favour,but as the dark beers have come back in and the micro brewers have popped up they have made a revivel, not sure how it will turn out the layout but hope to get it right and add something different and another interest makes a change for me instead of cows and corn thanks for looking

[graham]

cheers mark you made some out there bits I remember yrs ago ploythene sheet roller was one I remember, they tell me there are some hops in Suffolk do you know where they are

[graham]

that's the thing I remember mark the polythene remover,few more bits fist job of the year will be in the orchards clearing up the prunnings for this we use the buckrake on the new Holland the fendt does a lot of the fruit spraying but to save another tractor pass the front mounted mower is fitted on the arm swings out to cut round trees if needed.on the lorry there is a couple of bits of kit from Italy the back piece is pollen thinner and the other bit is a branch saw for trimming back the braburn apples and gala ,red Windsor which are grown up wire

[Mike R]

Lovely new topic Graham I love the custom machinery build, don't forget the fruit box carriers loads scene around here,I look forward to seeing this grow.

[graham]

1. thanks mike ,not sure how much fruit  is grown in kent but there is a lot around you I know ,be some more bits of kit to make and house the seasonal workers

[smithy]

17 hours ago, MadMark said:

Yes done things like polythene layer and remover, box fillers are just a few things rather than the "normal bit of machinery" Don't know about hops in Suffolk but someone like smithy might know

I think there is some hops not far from me at Nettlestead (not sure if spelt that right )which is a little village between me and Ipswich will ask if its still a hop farm will let you now in a few days time  

[graham]

• by the sounds of it smithy they are not that popular up there then either be good to here thou if they still grow them,got a week of long days coming up so may not reply for a little while

[graham]

few more pics of some equipment, for the running of the stooks farm ,made some pallet tines for the loader , the little forklift on the back of the claas is an old mast from a dinky forklift  cut down to look a bit like a Cameron and gardner ,the narrow fendt has the discs front and back , the sprayer is for the dwarf hops ,the trailer is a cut down britains tipping trailer to go under the hop picking harvester thanks for looking

[smithy]

1 hour ago, graham said:

• by the sounds of it smithy they are not that popular up there then either be good to here thou if they still grow them,got a week of long days coming up so may not reply for a little while

No problem it will be a few days before I bump into the people that will now if they still grow them

[Pete]

Loving the machines. Something totally new to me.

[Paul Palmer]

yes some fine and different machinery here

[Mike R]

Any updates Graham

[Luke190]

Really good. I like the little Fendt as they had/have one like that at Plumpton College but a bit older I'd imagine

[Deere-est]

I bought the vine harvester when I went to New Zealand and ever since, have wanted to do a vineyard scene.

That was 2007.

That's ten years ago. 

Your scenes look great, Graham and I love all the smaller machinery and the bits you've modified. The introduction is great, gives a lovely insight into what it's all about and the history.

[Pete]

6 minutes ago, Deere-est said:

I bought the vine harvester when I went to New Zealand and ever since, have wanted to do a vineyard scene.

That was 2007.

That's ten years ago. 

Your scenes look great, Graham and I love all the smaller machinery and the bits you've modified. The introduction is great, gives a lovely insight into what it's all about and the history.

Where does time go.... one day time will slow down so we can do some modelling 

[Deere-est]

Pah! As if!