Cultivations

Vale of Belvoir Monitor Farm meeting

The March meeting will start at the village hall then move to the farm for the second part. (Sherwood Farms, Hickling, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, LE14 3AR)

Speakers

• Phillip Wright: Wright Resolutions Ltds

Programme

• Registration/refreshments 
• Welcome and introduction: Judith Stafford – AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager 
• Vale of Belvoir Monitor Farm update: James & Michael Parker – AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Monitor Farmers
  • Progress with drilling winter cereals
  • How are crops looking
  • Plans for spring cropping
• Outline of cultivation policy at Sherwood Farms: James & Michael Parker
  • Machinery
  • Changes made and why
  • Results so far
  • Experiences with different drills
• Basic principles of soil management - soil structure, drainage and cultivation practice: Philip Wright, Wright Resolutions Ltd.
• Cultivation basics – including discussion of machinery and current cultivation practice on the monitor farm: Philip Wright
• Travel to Sherwood Farms (in cars; parking in yard)
• Farm walk to see soils of particular interest
  • Using soil pits – including dealing with any compaction
  • Role of cover crops
• Summary of main points and take home messages
  • Opportunity for any further questions
• Meeting close

About Vale of Belvoir Monitor Farm

Father and son team James and Michael Parker farm at Sherwood Farms in the Vale of Belvoir, Leicestershire. Their soil ranges from heavy clay to clay and sandy loam. James and Michael’s 560 ha increasingly flexible arable rotation includes winter wheat, winter oilseed rape, winter barley, spring barley, winter beans, winter triticale and spring linseed. Sherwood Farms is also home to 72,000 laying chickens, a mixture of free range and colony. The eggs are packed and sold onsite. Both James and Michael want to increase the efficiency of their business and to produce crops as economically as possible. They are looking forward to comparing their business with other farmers facing similar challenges, identifying where improvements can be made.

Find out more by visiting the Vale of Belvoir Monitor Farm page

About Monitor Farms

AHDB Monitor Farms bring together groups of like-minded farmers who wish to improve their businesses by sharing performance information and best practice around a nationwide network of host farms.

AHDB organises and facilitates Monitor Farm meetings for farmers, who own and operate the scheme – by farmers, for farmers.

Monitor Farms are part of the AHDB Farm Excellence Programme. Each Monitor Farm project runs for three years.