Archive Article: 2001/05/18
Andrew Kerr
Andrew Kerr farms 344ha
(850 acres) in partnership
with his parents and brother
at Wyldingtree Farm, North
Weald, Essex. Cropping is
potatoes, including some
on rented ground, plus
cereals, herbage seed and
oilseed rape
sounded off months ago, but I hope it is better than cuckoo corn.
Here at Wyldingtree, we have been focused on the 2001 potato crop. Having made slow but steady planting progress initially, we were literally brought down to earth by a bit of Essex pug. Reluctantly, we are giving it the bed-tiller treatment, a cost and possible pan forming operation we try to avoid, before the Megastar destoner finishes the preparation. With soils still cold and damp I will be amazed if yields are any good. No doubt some wag will soon be declaring a drought and hosepipe ban.
Apparently, good second-hand potato cultivation machinery is becoming rarer than hens teeth as frustrated growers lose patience with the difficult conditions and pay up for a quick fix, fearing the next deluge. However, a friends quick fix investment was cheaper than most – a stout chain to extract kit from the mire!
I was interested to read about Essex-born farmer Jonathan Fowlers clever DIY aerial field surveillance technique. Using a model aircraft problem field patches have been photographed with some success, according to the recent FW article (Arable Apr 20).
I have taken the somewhat dafter option of booking a microlite aircraft flight over the farm in July, which I hope will allow me to survey my many mistakes, and some of my neighbours, from a leisurely 2000ft.
Local farmers wishing to remain anonymous should make a donation to the RABI foot-and-mouth fund. I reckon thats all of us! *
The sprayer has been out with T1 applications on wheat but potato planting is the biggest battle, says Essex grower Andrew Kerr.