Ploughing Match Prizes 2010
Farm Classes
Class 0 – The King George VI Challenge Cup
The supreme challenge cup competed for by the winners of classes 1 & 2
Judges: Richard Janoway & John Usher
| 1st | Royal Farms, Windsor |
| 2nd | Randall Farms Ltd |
Class 1 – The Maidenhead Advertiser Challenge Cup
For the best farmed farm over 1000 acres
Judges: Michael Brown & Geoff Simms
| 1st | Royal Farms, Windsor | A well presented farm with several enterprises integrated well together. Good use of labour. Impressive implementation of organic farming practices. A very knowledgeable manager with, what seemed to be, total control over even the small aspects of the business. |
| 2nd | Emmett Bros | A passionate farmer looking at the farm as a whole rather than simply the bottom line. Very impressive blackgrass (!) with a very refreshing attitude towards battling it. Sound conservation principles and good all round business ideas. |
| 3rd | David Philp & Partners | An enthusiastic farmer making the most of the opportunities he has. Good soil management through use of alternative fertiliser/organic matter sources. Sound business sense with regard to building use and planning. |
Class 2 – The Lord Astor’s Challenge Cup
For the best farmed farm under 1000 acres
Judges: David Canty & Rob Mintern
| 1st | Randall Farms Ltd | A tidy well run and managed farm. Capital assets are being utilised well for both in hand and diversification enterprises with active plans in place to renovate others as cash flow and opportunities allow. The farm was clean and tidy throughout – which can be difficult when let out to tenants, the crops were even, clean and healthy. Conservation is clearly important from the amount of land taken out of production for ELS and additional schemes. Plans to enter HLS by incorporating buildings was seen as a positive use of public funds and the protection of a heritage building. Succession has been thought through with the next generation included as a director and other factors are being considered and discussed with the appropriate professionals. |
| 2nd | J&S Whitby | A well run business with a variety of separate diversification enterprises all being run well and profitably. This adds to the appeal of the farm and strengthens the case for more funding for training and school visits; a clear interest of Mr Whitby. There has been some good use of grants to facilitate additional buildings for new projects that will benefit existing enterprises. The dairy herd looked well and provide a rounded mixed farm enterprise. Conservation plays its role on the farm with HLS being entered into on a primarily educational basis. Succession considered but it was understood that the next generation is still young and undecided on their futures. |
| 3rd | Portman Burtley Estate | This farm has clearly been improved over the last few years. The animals are of very high quality producing a value added product. There were several options being looked at for increasing the output of the herd through diversification plans and different market places and strategies. There are a number of other diversification opportunities in the pipeline to make further use of existing assets. The service station was certainly unique and showed the benefits of location. Conservation is important to the business and could be seen from environmental strips around the farm. Further potential lies with grazing stock on trust land. There is a requirement for developments in the housing and improved attention to detail in the winter housing area. |
Class 3 – Richard Simmonds Diversification Award 2010
For the best diversified project not necessarily related to main stream agriculture
Judges: Geoffrey Adams & Roger Seed
“Roger Seed and I would like to thank the Royal East Berks Agricultural Association very much for the invitation to judge the competition. It was an extremely interesting and enjoyable day.
The range and scale of the different entrants made judging a challenge. The management of all enterprises was first class. We used a score sheet to make our assessments as objective as possible and a copy is attached. Please send to entrants if you think it worthwhile as it shows the parameters we used.”
| 1st | J Rayner & Sons for the shoot | We were particularly impressed with the way in which two business problems – pest control and trespass/vandalism had been made into an opportunity. Colin has harnessed 180 shooters to pay his business to, in effect, control pests and provide information on any nefarious activities on his farms. The detail and thought that went into the design and operation of this innovative project in a heavily populated area was first class. |
| 2nd | Michael Craig for his premises salting business | Again it was innovative, fairly low cost, made a substantial contribution to the family income and presented out of season employment opportunities for farm staff. |
| 3rd | Rachel and Phil Archer for their polo pony facilities | TRachel and Philip have developed a Polo Pony stabling business that takes advantage of the location and Philip’s expertise and provides a substantial and important contribution to family income. |
Farm diversification competition 2010
Judges score sheet
Entrant………………………………………………….
| Item | Max. Score |
Site Score |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Initial impact | 5 | |
| 2. | Reasons for diversification | 8 | |
| 3. | Appropriateness of enterprise to location | 8 | |
| 4. | Appropriateness of enterprise to personnel available | 8 | |
| 5. | Design sympathetic to environment | 5 | |
| 6. | Design appropriate to enterprise | 5 | |
| 7. | Standard of management – finish of premises | 5 | |
| 8. | Standard of management – staff training and development | 8 | |
| 9. | Standard of produce/service in relation to the intended market | 8 | |
| 10. | Community benefits – employment | 5 | |
| 11. | Community benefits – wider community | 5 | |
| 12. | Community benefits – provision of local produce | 4 | |
| 13. | Contribution to family business finances | 10 | |
| 14. | Plans for future development – a vision | 5 | |
| 15. | Preparedness for changing circumstances | 8 | |
| 16. | Plans for inheritance | 3 | |
| TOTAL | 100 |
Bonus points awarded for innovation. Points deducted if relevant regulations, in judges opinion, not thought to be met.
Class 4 – Duke of Edinburgh Award for Nature Conservation
For responsible farming coupled with care for the countryside
Judge: Marek Nowakowski
“I enjoyed my day which ended with a well received supper so many thanks for that. Just an idea but if there is a group members with an environmental interest then I would be happy to give them a day at Jealott’s Hill where we could have an environmental day. I do a lot of work with Syngenta and I think, subject to support from Innes McEwen, we could have an interesting work shop type day. See what Innes and others think.”
Judging.
It is always difficult to compare different farms in this type of situation as size, money, opportunity, aspect etc all come into it. It was not possible to see all that was on offer in one hour so some guestimates had to be made. Congratulations to all for having a go and it goes without saying that environmental issues are climbing the agricultural agenda so this is an important category.
| 1st | Randall Farms | I saw a good range of habitats that blended well with a well run farm. Pride and achievement were both very evident and it was a good model for others. Perhaps delay the mowing till 2nd half of June which is safer for wildlife. |
| 2nd | Emmett Bros. | A lot of thought and commitment has gone into the farm and its wildlife. Woodland and hedge management were a speciality. There were arable habitats but not enough time to see them properly. |
| 3rd | Portman Burtley Estate | We had only time for a 30 min whiz round but I was impressed with the enthusiasm Andrew displayed. Pollen and Nectar were well planned and I felt that this estate had a developing potential and an obvious environmental determination. |
I would also like to commend Copas Farms for their commitment to environmental educational. This estate has done a great job down by the river but due to public pressure has not introduced habitats into the arable land which was what I was looking for as a judge.
Class 5 – Dick Wilder Award
| 1st | Randall Farms | An excellent piece of drilling, well done. |
| 2nd | Copas Farms | Another well drilled field, overlap between bouts just right and although it was difficult to see the coulter lines, the overall look was very pleasing. |
| 3rd | Rayner & Sons | Excellent piece of drilling again, overlap between bouts set perhaps just a bit to minimal in places still a very pleasing field to see. |
Class 6 – Drilling Award
| 1st | Mark / Ross Pottinger | for the conversion of bale wrapper into a double system. |
| 2nd | J Rayner & Sons | heavy duty security folding arm (lockable) for ARV quad bike. |
| 3rd | Royal Farms (Windsor) | manufacture of transport box for moving piglets around. |
Crops
Class 7 – S.W. Philp Challenge Bowl
For the best field of Winter Wheat
Judge: Ben Giles
| 1st | Royal Farms, Windsor | A really excellent field of Oakley that looked fantastic from both the roadside but especially when walked through – clean of grass and broad-leaved weeds, disease free (a difficult task with Oakley, even this season), well tillered with a good head count / m2. Also very impressive was the management of the field edges – very little if any encroachment of grasses from the margins into the crop. Also of note is the impressive repair to soil structure after the gas pipeline was laid through the field – you could not distinguish the path of the pipe. |
| 2nd | Randall Farms Ltd | Lovely crop of Cordiale with good head count / m2. Sensible levels of fungicide inputs in a low disease year and a robust grass weed programme that has taken out the vast majority of any problems that have occurred. I was impressed with the crop stand (tillering) in this field, this season considering the soil type was not as heavy as on some of the other farms I visited. |
| 3rd | William Emmett, Emmett Bros | Trust William to enter a 55ha field but he chose well! A well managed and good looking crop of Solstice again with sensible levels of inputs from seed through to crop protection. The all important timing of inputs also look to be on the optimum dates for crops in 2010. I was impressed with the weed control in this field considering the problems I know William faces elsewhere on the farm. Also looking good was the quantity and timings of fertilizer applications to what will hopefully be a high yielding crop of milling WW. |
Class 8 – Henry Denny & Son Challenge Bowl
For the best field of Winter Barley
Judge: Andrew Cowan
It was a very interesting day on Monday and I can say truthfully that I visited some of the best farmers in the region given the caliber of the crops I was judging and the attention to detail paid by some. With few exceptions and hopefully ‘normal weather’ from now until harvest there should be some good yields if the crops I looked at are indicative of the rest. Difficult choices amongst the rape with high input, medium input and low input systems to choose from. I have taken inputs into consideration but have not judged solely on potential economic return. And so my choices:
| 1st | Rinder Brothers | A crop of Saffron with a bold berry to it and although there was a little Rynchosporium present it was low down the plant and not widespread. The crop was clean of weed. |
| 2nd | J Rayner & Sons | A crop of Carat on lighter ground so was suffering a bit more from the dry. There was a good bit of brome present despite ploughing which did spoil the appearance somewhat although confined mostly to headlands. |
Class 9 – E T Biggs Challenge Cup
For the best field of Winter Oilseed Rape
Judge: Andrew Cowan
Quite difficult to choose the top three but going on potential yield, overall appearance and cleanliness I place :
| 1st | J Rayner and Sons: Expert | The Rayner Rape was even across the field and well branched. Pods were well formed with little pod loss through abortion or midge. Yield potential good. |
| 2nd | Randall Farms Ltd: Expert | Randall rape was a close second with very little pod loss and good branching. Yield potential good. |
| 3rd | Emmett Brothers: Cabernet | Emmett Brothers Cabernet was again an even crop but had slightly more pod abortion than the top two. Having said that the yield potential is good. |
Class 10 – The NFU Cup
For the best field of Spring Barley or Spring Wheat
Judges: Michael Raynor & James Strang
| 1st | David Philp & Partners (Spring Wheat) | An excellent crop which will perform very well if the weather behaves! |
| 2nd | Royal Farms, Windsor (Spring Barley) | A very nice even crop with great potential, though we don’t envy the combine man amongst the trees! |
| 3rd | Hutt & Partners (Spring Barley) | A nice bit of barley, unfortunately beginning to show some stress. |
Class 11 – The Knight Frank & Rutley Challenge Cup
For the best field of Oats
Judges: Michael Raynor & James Strang
| 1st | Royal Farms (Winter Oats) | A great crop despite upsetting HRH with the wiggly tramlines she looks out on every day! |
| 2nd | Shottesbrooke (Winter Oats) | A strong crop but with a smattering of volunteer wheat. |
| 3rd | Fairacre Farms (Spring Oats) | A useful crop and excellent black grass control. |
Class 12 – The Patullo Higgs Challenge Cup
For the best field of a spring sown break crop
Judges: Michael Raynor & James Strang
| 1st | Shottesbrooke (Spring Beans) | A good clean crop with excellent podding. |
| 2nd | Royal Farms, Windsor (Winter Beans) | A nice crop with a slightly high population. |
| 3rd | Emmett Bros (Spring Peas) | A good plant population under the prevailing weather conditions. |
Class 13 – Nat West Salver
Best Field of Maize
| 1st | Royal Farms |
| 2nd | J & S Whitby |
| 3rd | Giles Philp & Partners |
Livestock
Dairy Judging
Class 14 – Shottesbrooke Challenge Cup
Best Dairy Herd
| 1st | Haines Hill |
| 2nd | Royal Farms |
| 3rd | Syngenta |
Class 15 – Thimbleby & Shorland Cup
Best Dairy Herd other than Holstein
| 1st | Royal Farms |
Class 16 – Field Challenge Cup
Best Dairy Youngstock
| 1st | Syngenta |
Beef Judging
Class 17 – R H Muir Challenge Cup
Best Beef Bull
| 1st | Donald Dawes |
| 2nd | Royal Farms |
| 3rd | Portman Burtley |
Class 18 – Dalgety Challenge Cup
Best suckler herd
| 1st | Portman Burtley |
| 2nd | Royal Farms |
| 3rd | Donald Dawes |
Class 19 – G Copas Challenge Cup
Best commercial beef enterprise
| 1st | Giles Philp |
| 2nd | Rinder Farms |
| 3rd | Malcolm Burfitt |
Class 20 – Beef Stockman Prize
| 1st | Portman Burtley |
Sheep Judging
Class 21 – F R Cartman Challenge Cup
Best commercial sheep
| 1st | Gerald Lavinge |
| 2nd | Michael Craig |
| 3rd | Malcolm Burfitt |
Class 22 – Sheep Stockmanship Prize
| 1st | Gerald Lavinge |
Domestic Classes
Class 32 – Fairy Cakes
| 1st | George Copas |
| 2nd | Laura Copas |
Class 33 – Flower arrangement
| 1st | Laura Copas |
Corn Classes
Class 36 – Best Class 1 Wheat
| 1st | Fairacres Farm |
| 2nd | Randall Farms |
| 3rd | Rayner Farms |
Class 37 – Best Class 2 Wheat
| 1st | Emmett Bros |
| 2nd | Randall Farms |
| 3rd | Rayner Farms |
Class 38 – Feed Wheat
| 1st | R Hutt & Partners |
| 2nd | Fairacres Farm |
| 3rd | Rinder Farms |
Class 39 – Oats
| 1st | Randall Farms |
| 2nd | Fairacres Farm |
| 3rd | Emmett Bros |
Class 40 – Feed Barley
| 1st | Rayner Farms |
| 2nd | Rinder Farms |
Class 41 – Malting Barley
| 1st | Rayner Farms |
| 2nd | R Hutt & Partners |
Class 42 – OSR
| 1st | Fairacres Farm |
| 2nd | Randall Farms |
| 3rd | Copas Farms |
Class 43 – Beans & Peas
| 1st | Emmett Bros |
| 2nd | Rinder Farms |
| 3rd | Shottesbrooke Farm |
Class 44 – Castlemans Challenge Cup
Best bale of hay
| 1st | Rinder Farms |
Class 45 – Queen Challenge Cup
Best Feed Straw
| 1st | Rinder Farms |
A J BUCKNELL CHALLENGE CUP – Best overall Wheat
Fairacres Farm
HOLYPORT CHALLENGE CUP – Best overall Barley
Rayner Farms
Gardens
Class 81 – TUDOR CHALLENGE CUP For the BEST GARDEN
Open to all members
| 1st | Helen Emmett |
| 2nd | Thelma Copas |
| 3rd | William Emmett |
Class 82 – BARGE FARM CUP For the BEST COTTAGE GARDEN
Open to all employees of members
| 1st | Alan Boyd |
| 2nd | Peter Shaw |
| 3rd | Margaret Ewers |
Class 92 – LONG SERVICE AWARDS
| Andrew Shurley | Philip Mortimer Farm |
| Graham Walker | Philip Mortimer Farm |
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