We’ve had a ‘quiet’ day on the farm, perfect for ensuring our weighbridge remains accurate and safe with annual cleaning and maintenance. Thanks to the team for a great job done.
What happens when it’s a ‘quiet’ day?
Winter barley harvest kicks off two weeks later than usual
Discover what our Managing Director, James Peck says about winter barley harvest this year with Emma from Farmers Weekly:
For James Peck of P.X. Farms based in Cambridgeshire, winter barley harvest usually starts during the first couple days in July, but this year’s slow-growing season meant he began cutting a good two weeks later than usual on July 16.
After a challenging season struggling to get cereals crops drilled into such wet autumn conditions, combined with the physical strains of lockdown, Mr Peck is relieved to see harvest now underway.
With 485ha of winter barley in the ground, crops are yielding well at 8.8t/ha, with moisture contents below 15% and a slightly lower specific weight of 61-62kg/hl.
Currently, four combines are in operation and rather than using a traditional tractor and trailer, Mr Peck uses chaser bins and loading lorries equipped with 30t custom-built trailers to transport grain. This helps improve the efficiency of loading times and ensures the combines are not waiting to unload.
The variety Belfry makes up the majority of Mr Peck’s winter barley area this season, due to its good lodging resistance. After a significant area of the variety Bazooka fell flat the last harvest, only a small proportion of this was planted, with the remainder planted to Belfry.
All straw will be baled and has been pre-sold to either a local power station or beef farm, while the grain is sold to ADM.
“Next, we will have 20ha of oilseed rape to harvest, and we are planning to put more area to this next season if conditions allow. Meanwhile, winter wheat crops are still looking as green as grass, so it will be a little while yet before we think about harvesting them.”
James joins Michael Horsch and Tom Hawthorn in a digital fireside chat
Discover our Managing Director James Peck with Michael Horsch and Tom Hawthorn talking about farming in this digital fireside chat from Germany and the UK.
Join our team – Transport Manager
We’re looking for an experienced Transport Manager to join our team based at our Estate Office – interested to find out more? Learn more – https://pxfarms.com/about-us/careers/transport-manager-vacancy/
That’s it, the potatoes are done!
If you ever want to hear anyone very excited about finishing potato harvest, press play, turn on the sound and hear our Managing Director James Peck express his delight!
https://twitter.com/i/status/1334058147414224896
Making progress – drilling sugar beet, potatoes and cultivating
We thought we’d share some highlights from our P.X. Farms Twitter account managed by our Managing Director James Peck today – exciting progress being made drilling sugar beet and potatoes and cultivating – twitter.com/Pxfarms
Slow and steady wins the race
The weather has been against us but to quote our Managing Director James Peck:
“Slow and steady wins the race. The chaps have good stamina in these testing times. Nice to see the sun out.”
Hereclea potato harvest
We’re now harvesting our Hereclea potatoes, off to the wash then the factory.
Our final battle against the weather to end our 2020 combinable crop harvest
As our Managing Director James Peck rightly says when taking this photo:
’10 minutes to go and the nightmare ends. Chaps I salute you for the battle of effort to get combinable crops harvested. Thank you, well done.’
Learn how you can improve crop quality and yield
With so many challenges in farming, we work with our clients to provide solutions. At our Scotland Farm site in Dry Drayton, Cambridge we have a high-tech cleaning plant to improve the quality and yield of combinable crop. Discover our video showing you from field to cleaning plant and the process between. We can provide standalone and bespoke solutions to meet your needs – get in touch to talk through with our team.
