As we draw a close to 2023, we’d like to thank all our clients and partners for working with us this past year, and wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. During the festive period, we will be closed from 22nd December 2023 and returning 2nd January 2024.
This year, we have said goodbye to one of drivers Rob Dearman who has been with us for 13 years and is retiring. It’s always hard to lose valued and respected team members, but we know he is looking forward to taking some well-deserved time.
To close off the year, we held our annual Christmas gathering in Coton. Thanks to the team at The Plough for making it a special day, and a huge thank you to the P.X. Farms team for everything you do. What a great time to come together, all in one place.
Santa and his 600hp Rudolph sleigh had been delivering presents to Caldecote, a village next to Scotland Farm.
Farming has had a challenging year with weather disruptions but despite this, and the impact on the team, everything else is forging forward, and we’re looking forward to taking some well-earned time off over Christmas and New Year.
The recent onset of wet weather over the past months has been disruptive and meant we’ve had to revise our plans and adapt to the ever-changing weather conditions. James (Managing Director of P.X. Farms) recently shared on our X account that we currently have 200mm more than our annual average.
Let’s take a look back with Tom, P.X. Farms Farm Manager:
The wet weather put a stop to drilling despite still having a considerable area left to be sown.
Whilst the rain continued to fall, we took the time to prepare our tine drills better suited to the wetter conditions.
Fortunately, we were able to get wheels turning again down at our Bedford farm, drilling winter beans. The frosty conditions enabled us to get a large proportion of the wheat and winter beans in.
Our team had been working overnight and putting in some serious shifts. October, for example, saw 145mm of rainfall at Scotland Farm (over double the average monthly rainfall) – fields were waterlogged, and slugs had perfect conditions for feeding on already challenged crops. Our team showed great determination to get around all the crops to apply pellets in a bid to try and combat this pest.
Graeme has been busy out on his 10-tonne Volvo Digger clearing waterways across the farm. In a wet year like this, good land drainage and waterway maintenance are so important to ensuring great soil health and crop yield.
The Grainstore team have completed all the mustard cleaning for the season with good quality mustard, and the sheds are full. We now have cleaning availability so if you are looking to increase your crop quality and yield, get in touch with the Grainstore team at 01954 210211.
Several team members travelled together in a car for nearly nine hours to Agritechnica 2023. That was an experience! It is amazing to be in a pub full of farmers and spend time with the team, meeting industry colleagues, old and new, and seeing the latest innovations in the industry, helping us keep up-to-date.
Building works continue at Scotland Farm, with a 2,000-tonne Grainstore being built and two open-sided sheds at Rectory Farm, Dry Drayton.
We’d like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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