User stories

Valtra’s latest tractor range introduction, the G series, fits in between the A and N series, and offers plenty of spec options for livestock and mixed farms. Jane Carley visits a busy sheep farmer who is trying the brand for the first time.

Over the past six years, two JCB Fastrac 4220s have clocked up almost 14,000 hours for one Oxfordshire farmer and contractor. But how have they performed? Geoff Ashcroft reports.

Crop quality is paramount for one Cumbrian farming and contracting business, Farmers Guardian takes a look at what machinery changes they have made in recent years to make the work flow better. 

With its radical design, spacious cab, and revised functionality, Massey Ferguson’s high-horsepower 8S tractor range quietly arrived on the market over two years ago. Geoff Ashcroft sought the views of a West Sussex contractor who opted for an 8S.265 to head-up the business.

Choosing to make its own silage, a Wiltshire farm puts 182 hectares into the clamp each year using a Lely Storm 130P trailed forage harvester.

Typically associated with high-horsepower arable machinery, GPS guidance can bring productivity benefits to smaller farmers with specialist crops.  

In a bid to reduce black grass pressure in cereals, one Gloucestershire estate has opted for a Horsch Avatar with multi-hopper capability, as it seeks to widen the rotation and introduce cover crops. Geoff Ashcroft reports

Merseyside arable farmer Nick Wright is making the most of increased drill capacity and capability to facilitate changes to his establishment regime. Jane Carley reports.

The UK’s vineyard area continues to climb to meet rising demand as its wines grow in reach and respect, so it is perhaps no surprise the country’s first self-propelled grape harvester has now been bought by an Essex enterprise. Martin Rickatson learned more from maker New Holland, dealer Ernest Doe and buyer New Hall Wine Estate.

Scraping cubicle housing can be one of the most time-consuming parts of the day on some dairy farms. James Huyton visits a Lancashire-based dairy which is saving time and labour with a robotic system.