Farmer Focus: Tractor Run raises £12,000 for orphanage

The Oliver-James memorial Tractor Run went really well on our farm with over 200 tractors in attendance and over £12,000 raised for an African Orphanage where a local family have been working for the past four years. Many thanks to everyone who helped make the weekend a great success. Please look at the Facebook page to see the highlights.

My first quarterly payment arrived for my wood pellet boiler and don’t be in doubt, it is much appreciated after a lot of investment in time and money getting it up and running. Thanks to Turco Boilers for a first-class service.

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I have just tried a new product to synchronise ovulation in gilts and sows. It claims to do away with the need for a second dose of AI, therefore reducing costs and time. I’ll keep you posted as to how we get on with this.

We have begun the arduous task of replacing concrete support beams that carry plastic slats in some of my older weaner houses. The beams are failing and it is impossible to tell where they might break next. We have even had pigs in the tank below. Thankfully, it is only half a metre deep. At the time of installing them I never thought I would see them crumble. But pig houses can test the best of materials to the limit and I’m glad there are better alternatives now available.

Andrew McCrea farms a 740-sow birth-to-bacon business and 150 beef cattle on 37ha. He is a DARD Focus Farmer and was 2010 Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year