Farming

Clare Park Farm > Farming

At Clare Park Farm we strive to farm our land in a sustainable and professional manner, with the aim of achieving the land’s maximum potential each year, without compromising biodiversity on the land we farm. To do this, we have a wide rotation utilising a range of different crops, both winter- and spring-sown, to enable us to manage pests and diseases in a more sustainable way. This includes Winter Wheat, Winter Barley, Spring Barley, Oilseed Rape, Peas, Beans and Grass. Occasionally we will include Maize and Linseed in our rotation.

We grow green manures between harvest and spring-sowing, and also occasionally between early harvested crops and late-autumn drilled crops. These are mixtures that are designed to condition and improve the soil, therefore reducing the need for cultivations. These are then grazed by our sheep flock, which help to recycle the nutrients back into the soil.

Sheep

We currently have a flock of 400 Dorset ewes, managed by ourselves and a contract shepherd. Dorsets are one of very few breeds that will consistently conceive out of season, therefore the lambs, born in October, can be finished on the green manures during the winter months. Lambing in October complements our farming system as our green manures mean we have a surplus of grazing throughout the winter which allows us to keep more sheep on our permanent pasture throughout the rest of the year.

Direct Drilling

We are successfully direct drilling all of our crops, and have been for a number of years across all our farms. This technique has removed the need for cultivating and we have seen many benefits including:

  • Improved soil structure
  • Reduced erosion and run-off
  • Increased beneficial invertebrates and earthworms
  • Lower fuel costs
  • Less wear and tear on machinery

We have found that the improvements in our soil structure have helped increase infiltration rates, meaning we are more confident growing spring crops on our farms as the soils seem to be holding more moisture and the crops therefore establish more evenly; this has resulted in more consistent yields.

Cover Crops

At Clare Park Farm we pride ourselves in always looking to the future for new farming techniques and ideas. Following this tradition has led to the inclusion of Cover Crops into our robust rotation. The idea of a Cover Crop is to always have a plant in the ground growing in between our conventional crops. Some of the many benefits of this system are that it suppresses weeds, creates a habitat for wildlife and promotes biodiversity. The roots of the Cover Crop help to build a better soil structure and create drainage channels allowing any excess water to escape rather than waterlog the fields. The cover crop is then sprayed or grazed off which then acts as a green manure for the next crop thus improving the soils organic matter level.

Machinery

With the current global market being so volatile every effort is made to ensure the farm is being run as its most efficient but while maintaining our high standards and reputation. At Clare Park Farm we are constantly updating our machinery, as we believe this is important in allowing us to benefit and take advantage of the new technology and concepts being released. With this in mind, we have invested in a range of machinery which we pride ourselves on being up-to-date and well-maintained. We utilise many of the latest technologies to improve our efficiency and productivity, especially when working long days. The introduction of GPS to all our tractors and combines allows us to carry out any task with vastly improved accuracy. Our tram-lines stay year to year, reducing soil damage, and by mapping yields and crop variations we have increased our yields and reduced our inputs.

The modern drills along with the advanced GPS systems on the tractors have enabled us to introduce variable seed rates into our drilling regime. This concept allows us to map and split fields up into different soil types which in turn receive different seed rates. We can now increase or decrease seed rates depending on certain factors, these are soil types, weed threats and previous years yields. We can record and examine individual yields maps of the fields which allows us to identify the most fertile sections with the highest potential to yield well again. This precision means that we can farm the land much more efficiently and cost effectively.

Grain Storage

We have invested in grain storage over the years and have different grain stores available as well as a grain dryer and grader, enabling us to dry and clean quality crops.