Monitor Farm meeting: Saltash

Meeting agenda

The third Saltash Monitor Farm meeting of the winter will discuss labour and machinery resourcing on the farm.

Farm labour, power and machinery remain some of the largest cost categories in producing UK arable crops, while climate change and extreme seasonal weather make planning difficult. Balancing capacity with cost is therefore a key management task.

Regarding machinery, one key cost element to consider is replacement strategy or if it's worth owning machinery at all. Using the Saltash Monitor Farm as a case study, this meeting will demonstrate protocols for measuring, assessing and planning labour and machinery capacity on the farm. 

About the farm

Ashley Jones runs the mixed 190ha Smeaton Farm, which is part of the Duchy of Cornwall estate. In partnership with his family, he farms 100ha cereals with maize and potatoes in the rotation, and has 200 head of beef and 200 ewes. Diversification activities on the farm include a bed and breakfast, maize maze, Christmas trees and agricultural contracting. During the three years of the Monitor Farm programme, Ashley wants to try new ideas, experiment and learn from others in the industry.