Monitor Farm walk: Saltburn

The Saltburn Monitor Farm summer meeting focuses on topics from the winter Monitor Farm programme, explored at John Aynsleys farm with experience shared by the steering group.

The meeting is an opportunity to discuss the cropping in the ground, drill performances, soils and ideas for winter meetings from further discussions.

Programme:

There will be short presentations followed by a farm walk and group discussions.

• Registration, tea and coffee, Basis and Nroso
• Welcome and over view to the Monitor Farm programme (Rose Riby, KE manager AHDB)
• Update to the Saltburn Monitor Farm business (John Aynsley, Saltburn Monitor Farmer)
• Farm Walk, to include:
  
  • Cultivation methods and the inclusion of cover crops
  • Cropping and rotation
  • Soil improvements and brome control
  • Soil sampling and fertiliser plan
• Group activity analysis of the farm (facilitated by monitor farm steering group)
• Group discussion on winter meeting programme
• Lunch

For more information:
Please contact Rose Riby by e-mail rose.riby@ahdb.org.uk or call 07741 892283.
Meeting reports are available at: cereals.ahdb.org.uk/Saltburn 

About Saltburn Monitor Farm

John Aynsley runs a 1,302 ha mixed farm near Saltburn-by-the-Sea in the north-east of England. Covering 566 ha he grows a rotation of winter barley, oilseed rape, and wheat on light loam to heavy clay. Combinable crops are established using a min-till approach and all grain is dried and stored on farm. In addition to the arable enterprise John also manages 1,300 breeding ewes and 450 spring-calving suckler cows.The main challenge which John aims to address on the farm is soil management. John is already a member of the Darlington Benchmarking Group and has been benchmarking since it started. By participating in the Monitor Farm programme, he hopes to prepare his business to be profitable without direct payments.