Farming News - Neighbours, not competitors
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Neighbours, not competitors
Just nine months into HGCA’s Stowmarket Monitor Farm programme, local arable farmers are already beginning to see the benefit of the work.
Two neighbouring farmers, Philip Partridge and Oliver Pipe from Suffolk, have attended every meeting of the Monitor Farm programme so far, and are enthusiastic about the positive impact of the project.
Tim Isaac, HGCA Regional Manager, said: “Both Philip and Oliver have thoroughly embraced the programme. They’ve both seen great benefits for themselves, and the project here is richer because of their commitment and participation.
“It’s good to have neighbouring farmers sharing their knowledge and experience, realising that they aren’t competitors, but that they can add value to each other’s businesses.”
Reasons for taking part in the Monitor Farm programme include the access to a breadth of locally relevant experience, independent information and the group benchmarking activities.
Philip Partridge
Philip Partridge has a traditional mixed family farm just north of Ipswich, with cattle and a few sheep, mostly growing feed wheat, feed barley and some malting spring barley, as well as winter beans and winter oilseed rape. He farms 330ha of combinable crops, with another 40ha of permanent pasture. Philip has attended all of the Monitor Farm meetings at Stowmarket and has recently joined the project’s steering group.
Why did you join the Monitor Farm group?
“I’d seen the Monitor Farm programme being rolled out and was keen to get involved. There was some very good feedback about farmers getting together to discuss issues that were important to them.”
What are the biggest issues for you?
“Having to assess how much it costs to produce a tonne of wheat is probably the most important, though I’ve not done benchmarking against others yet. This cost aspect is definitely what I was drawn to the most.
“But, also, there are other issues like trying to produce a crop in an uncertain market. With the Monitor Farm we also get advice on the other issues like black-grass, herbicides, fertiliser use, and looking at different things we can do to improve soil. The Monitor Farm programme offered a whole range of very relevant topics at the forefront of my mind and with local appeal. It’s very relevant to local farmers.”
What benefit have you found from the Monitor Farm programme so far?
“The best thing is the people I’ve come into contact with. Conversations we’ve had have been great, and it’s been valuable to meet both like-minded individuals and members from the trade. It’s been very useful to talk to relevant people one-to-one, on a personal level.”
What would you say to someone who’s never been to a Monitor Farm before?
“Just go! You’ve got much to gain and nothing to lose. It’s a very pleasant atmosphere and very relevant to your business.
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the meetings I’ve been to so far. It’s superb to feel like you’re getting something back from levy payments and to keep in touch with people like Tim Isaac – he’s a very good point of access into the HGCA. It makes you feel like HGCA is listening.”
Oliver Pipe
Oliver Pipe has a mixed family farm near Ipswich, comprising 220ha arable and 40ha grassland, with some ELS and HLS options. His crops are wheat, barley, oilseed rape and beans, and he also contract farms some 50ha with sugar beet. The family lets 10-15ha for seed potatoes, and grows grass for hay for the flock of 60 ewes.
Why did you join the Monitor Farm group?
“A few reasons – I knew Brian Barker, the host monitor farmer, from local events. But I’ve also been on other HGCA events and saw this as another opportunity to learn more. I wanted to join in the group discussions, to see what others were doing and to see how we could improve our own business.”
What are the biggest challenges you face?
“We’ve got a huge variety of soils on our farm – from heavy clay through to sand and peat – and nearly all of our fields vary. Some of the others in the group have a similar issue, for example, Philip Partridge, who is one of our neighbours. Brian has slightly heavier soils than us on average, but does have some medium soils too.
“The other issues are around practicality of machinery. We’re a small farm, so what’s a sensible compromise in terms of equipment? We do also have black-grass in some of our fields, but it’s not all over the farm yet and I'd like to keep it that way.”
What benefit have you found from the Monitor Farm programme so far?
“It’s great to have free advice. We have meetings every month through the winter, so we get a monthly input of relevant information in an easy to digest form. Also, every month we get to discuss with others what they’re doing and whether it’s working for them. For me, it’s a one-stop-shop – an opportunity to stock up on all the information I need.
“In particular, the work on benchmarking has been really valuable, even though I’ve not fully digested all the figures yet. Doing this work in a group setting with a deadline has forced us to calculate our own costs of production properly, rather than relying on the Nix Pocketbook data. For us, this is really the single biggest benefit of the Monitor Farm programme.”
What would you say to someone who’s never been to a Monitor Farm before?
“Wrap up warm! … Joking aside, just try it and see if you think it’s for you. Most people want to try and learn, and do a better job. If you can learn from others’ mistakes or successes, you can at least avoid some of the common pitfalls that way.”
To find out more about HGCA’s Monitor Farm programme in Stowmarket, visit hgca.com/stowmarket, or contact Tim Isaac, HGCA Regional Manager, on east@hgca.ahdb.org.uk or call 07964 975078.