Mike Neaverson @MikeNeaverson Twitter profile

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 months

The party who puts custodial sentences in their manifesto for these shits can have my vote

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Fertiliser pricing: what it actually means for us farmers, and why it should matter to politicians too. A 🧵

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Nitrogen fertiliser isn't perfect. It has a huge environmental footprint, and we're all trying to use less of it anyway. But in our present food system, it keep billions of people alive, and any fundamental change will quickly hit the poorest in the world first.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 months

750 acres for her 20th season. Has required one belt and one actuator with zero downtime. Next to no depreciation. Absolutely remarkable machines.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Nitrogen is a fundamental plant nutrient and most of us farmers apply a significant quantity of it per year. It can more-or-less double grain yields, and 4billion people are estimated to be alive today because of it.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

9 years

Couple of young Adelies following in our tracks, unlikely to get a John Deere / Penguin photo anywhere else I reckon

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

-Wheat yields will fall by 2-5% this harvest. -They will reduce by much more in 2023. - We will continue to be in uncharted territory re supply and demand. -Some of the already struggling livestock industries are in for an incredibly tough time.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Nitrogen fertiliser is made in the Haber Bosch process, which is itself incredibly gas-hungry. As a result, the cost of fertiliser has quadrupled in price over the last 9 months. This graph is to the end of February and it has gone up much further since then

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Our government will continue to deny there is a problem looming, hiding behind bullshit statistics and fantasy greenwash.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

If you quadruple the fertiliser price, but only double the grain price, then the economic optimum of N fertiliser shifts downwards. Basically, farmers will use less nitrogen and produce less grain.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Grain prices have also risen; the amount that we’re able to sell feed wheat for has approximately doubled in price over the same period. So fertiliser costs have quadrupled whilst grain prices have only doubled.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Going back to this chart, I reckon the optimum N rate has fallen by approximately 20%, whilst the yield that this will achieve will fall by about 5%. Seeing as this is a global problem, these are very big numbers.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

A few years ago the Red Tractor man told us that we weren’t allowed these highly lethal lights in the open Dutch barn anymore. So instead I’m going to install these highly lethal lights above the kitchen table.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

We wouldn’t go very hungry because every man, woman and child in the UK could each have a 37-egg omelette every single day.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Sugar Beet on a family farm in South Lincs 2020 - a thread.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I tell you what, my 1000 new followers today are going to be very disappointed when they find that most of my insightful content is about cup holders in a Valtra cab.

Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Fertiliser pricing: what it actually means for us farmers, and why it should matter to politicians too. A 🧵

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I should start by saying that writing this thread feels incredibly crass when compared to the horrendously awful situation for the people of Ukraine. But none-the-less I think its important to discuss because our government have their head in the sand.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I’ve written this thread today partly because of the ineptitude of our government on the issue. George Eustice, the DEFRA secretary, last week claimed that there is enough organic manures in the country to replace all of the artificial fertiliser products.

Mark Chandler

@chandlerfarming

3 years

I didn't imagine it, BBC South Today 18.30 on 18/03/21 @BBCSouthNews hear what our minister @MPGeorgeEustice thinks he knows for yourself and how we can solve the fertiliser problem

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

There's another big step-change on the way. With a lot of cash tied up in fertiliser, farmers will turn to spring cropping to reduce costs and risk. This will drastically reduce yield further; spring wheat yields 30% less than winter wheat.

Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Despite the crow onslaught I'm pretty pleased with spring wheat establishment this year. Not often you can drill this land in mid February

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I am a farmer and independent agronomist. This means that I work with other farmers to help them plan their cropping; I walk their fields and recommend manures, fertilisers, weedkillers and fungicides. For example, we look for diseases like this yellow rust I found today

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

In Tesco’s this evening

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Us farmers and agronomists use experience and trials data to decide exactly how much nitrogen fertiliser to apply each year. We look at something called the Nitrogen Response Curve, such as this one for wheat (top) and oilseed rape (bottom)

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

In round figures, the first 50kg/ha of N applied might give you 2t/ha of extra wheat yield. The next 50kg/ha might five you 1t/ha, the next 0.5t/ha and the next 0.25t/ha. And so on. Are we following?

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Farmers are not stupid and we generally only apply the level of fertiliser that results in the economic optimum, which for yonks has been around 220kg/ha of N in wheat.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

In total I help look after around 8000 acres of farm land in the Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire Fens. A MASSIVE topic of conversation on farms this year is how much nitrogen fertiliser we should use.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Using DEFRA’s own figures, we can estimate that to replace all of the manufactured nitrogen fertiliser in the UK with animal manures would require us to keep, for example, an extra 2.5 billion laying hens.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Of course it will be the poorest countries who will suffer first. But it will also harm the domestic livestock industries as their animal feed becomes increasingly scarce and expensive.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I've written to my MP about it

Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

My MP is usually pretty good at responding to this kind of ludicrous content. Let's see

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 months

I’m very impressed with these GLS legs. When I came home seven years ago we were ploughing and power harrowing basically everything every year. Heavy land is gently improving in structure and we’re definitely able to do a little bit less every year.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Finished this years 500m of native hedge by filling in this line of trees that dad planted 30 years ago. In his and my lifetime that brings the total metres planted to 1120% of metres removed.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

This curve will vary somewhat by farm but the principal is sound. In summary, there is a law of diminishing returns and not every Kg of N applied gives you the same increase in yield.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Increasing the fertiliser rate much above this will still increase the yield, but it costs more in extra fertiliser than the value of the grain it produces. £££

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I’m going to use a simplistic example here to demonstrate why this a problem for grain supply (but not necessarily for the individual farmer) going forward.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

My MP is usually pretty good at responding to this kind of ludicrous content. Let's see

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Policy makers take note. Like hundreds of other growers, I'm right on the cusp of giving up. Take action now or forever loose a proud, historic and valuable British sugar industry. The ball is in your court. END. Phew

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

I must sack the agronomist

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

So here are my unqualified predictions if fertiliser prices remain at current levels.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 years

As another day dawns in the Lincolnshire Wetlands, here we find the increasingly common sight of a Lesser Spotted Pearson left wallowing overnight in a hole, unable to safely extract itself in the hours of darkness.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 month

Earliest I’ve ever lifted beet but I’m done with mauling around in December. The whole lot going.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

I will never ever sell this tractor. The most underrated machine MF ever built imo. Proper modern comfy cab but no electronic bollocks to go wrong. Worth more now than when we bought it 3500hours ago

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I don't shoot or hunt, but it's very interesting to compare the actions and words of the anti's and sabs in regard to the currently legal sport of trail hunting and the definitely illegal pursuit of hare coursing and poaching.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

7 years

A letter wot I has writ. I’m going to send it by Royal Mail because this sort of thing is always better by A4.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 years

Anyone who can build a reliable one of these can take my money

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 months

Three good days cutting now waiting a fortnight for wheat OSR 2.9ish t/ha. 🥉 Winter barley 7.4ish t/ha. Lowest yield I can remember Both looked crap all year so I’m not surprised. Wheat looks much much better 🤞

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Had to say a very sad goodbye to our biddable family friend Ebb yesterday. Here she is drilling some OSR in her prime, putting up with my spaniel puppy in middle age, and looking resplendent in her retirement. Nearly 14 is a bloody good age for a Lab but it's never an easy day

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 years

Massive respect to everyone who's slogged their kahunas off this week picking, cutting, lifting, packing and carting the biggest fresh produce orders of the year in the worst field conditions of the season. The modern produce supply chain is a real marvel. Merry Christmas!

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

Busy weekend

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 years

I am about to put planning in for a smallish wind turbine to try and make a dent in my new £100k+ a year electric bill. No one will see it apart from a family who would like to put one up in their own garden too. Predictions on how hard the council will make this at the moment?

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

19 days

Gathering up some Beautiful Babylon chipping potatoes today 👌

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

7 months

N applied a fortnight ago. Got stuck and chickened out of the rest of it. Pleased we pushed the majority. 90kg of N 0-90cm means nothing if your plant can’t get roots to it. Never seen such a huge N response so early as this year.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 years

Hi @Tesco @asda @sainsburys @Morrisons @LidlGB @AldiUK @coopuk you’re doing a sterling job in difficult times. How about supporting British potato farmers who’s market for chip shops and processing has completely disappeared overnight? (1/2)

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 years

Mid November. What sprayer drivers like - what they really, really, like - is a plague of aphid and the only spraying days in an entire month being every Saturday and Sunday.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 month

Anywhere we ploughed didn’t have ergot. What the market says they want (direct drilling, loads of grass margins, in-field weeds) vs what they are prepared to mitigate the risk of are two very different things.

Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 month

My spring wheat entry for crap farmer of the year award.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

7 years

That's it, another awesome Antarctic season done on the tractor traverse convoy. 9 weeks, 5 top blokes, 4 Pistenbullys, 300t of cargo to load and depot, 250ft of sledges each, 2500km across the Ronne Ice shelf to the Elsworth Mountains, -35C by the end. Time to fly home!

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Just as I turned on the Typhoon drying fan and the lights dimmed in the house, I was wondering just how much CO2 does the industry create every year unnecessarily drying feed grain from the perfectly safe level of 16% before its then wetted up again at the mill?

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Dear OSR seed producers. I’ll buy your expensive hybrid seed if I can pay for 95% of it in April once we know that we have a crop. I’ll tell you what fields it’s in from day 1 so that you can keep an eye on it too. Share the risk?

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

In all seriousness @Tesco I’ve just done my Christmas shop. No panic buying, just mountains of fresh produce looking stunning; a credit to you, your packers, farmers and supply chain in such difficult times. Keep it up.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Timeline of important lockdown events this week: Monday night- Dad feeds elderly Labrador leftover curry against better judgement Early Tuesday morning- Elderly Labrador gets explosive diarrhoea Wednesday- Dad agrees to buy Mum a new office carpet

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 month

As a part time agronomist, I would just like to make you aware that you should do as I say, not as I do. 🌾

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

My name is Mike, and I am addicted to Third Wheat

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

I’ve walked this field every week for nearly three months and still haven’t put a herbicide on it

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 years

Is there a better drill for the money than a 12 year old Rapid

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

First moderately cold spell since moving into our new house in the summer. Seeing as we will all be forced to install it in the next few years, my thoughts on Air-source Heating

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

@talkRADIO @Iromg As a farmer growing potatoes for chips/fries, I’m extremely pleased to see long queues like this. Our market disappeared overnight during lockdown. McDonalds have been British Agriculture’s best ally for years. Long may their impressive business continue.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Fag packet stuff here, but to replace the 1,500t of fertiliser that I and my agronomy customers use per year, I think I would need to keep 80,000 pigs. Or 1million chickens. Best get my planning permission in. Anyone volunteering to live downwind of 25acres of indoor pigs?

Mark Chandler

@chandlerfarming

3 years

I didn't imagine it, BBC South Today 18.30 on 18/03/21 @BBCSouthNews hear what our minister @MPGeorgeEustice thinks he knows for yourself and how we can solve the fertiliser problem

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

Store two of three full with 700t. Small change in usage from three months ago

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 years

Having done 0.96acres in the last day and a half between breaking webs twice, unbunging the Dalmans every 200yds, getting picker and carts stuck, and even on good bits not exceeding 0.6km/hr, I’m beginning to think that getting the last few acres just might not be economical 💦

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

Melody 🥔🥔🥔

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

Bodied silt Agria going into store

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Well done to @The_WMA South Holland IDB keeping us dry today after 45mm yesterday. The engineering that goes into the fens is quite incredible

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 years

@Sizzy6 @DeborahMeaden @pure_weegie Barley is by some margin the least profitable crop on my farm. Thank goodness I can grow more of it instead of those dastardly European weeds.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 years

Been helping a neighbour out the past few days between OSR drilling. Best part of a 1000acres through her this year with only half an hour downtime for a 90p chain joiner. Not bad for her 15th season 👍

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

I was the first person at a car accident about 6.30 this morning. Young lad conscious but otherwise not in a great way. Cables from the pole he’d hit draped across the road. Called 999, took 64 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and nearly an hour and a half for the police.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

7 years

Happy New Year! We finished unloading cargo today from the Shackleton and dragged the loaded sledges up the steep snow ramp onto the ice shelf. Tomorrow the ship leaves and the six of us will be on our own for the next month and a half.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 years

2022 in one photo

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

@gavin_steven @LizWebsterLD That's a massive unknown at the moment but Russia and Ukraine account for 30% of the worlds exports so I'd imagine that we're in for a very bumpy ride

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

At long last I have reached agricultural perfection

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 months

2023 crop over and out. Thank-you to customers old and new for your business. I wonder what fun awaits for the 2024 storage season.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

12 tonnes of chips 🍟

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 months

Doors, electrics and apron still a work in progress but pleased to have this in full service. I didn’t even put planning permission in until April.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 years

69p a unit. What is the point in growing fresh produce at the moment?

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Cutting it very fine due to the Covid effect, this field of Markies needs to go into that store in October

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

The hours I spend every load individually roping every potato on a trailer finally vindicated.

Staffordshire Police Road Harm Team

@StaffsRoadHarm

3 years

Out patrolling in @LichfieldPolice when we saw this insecure load. Driver said it wouldnt ever come off - also down the A5 we find 5 potatoes in the road 🤭 Driver reported for insecure load. Harvest season or not this is not acceptable!

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

I know it's not very fashionable but I'm really impressed with the job that this old cultivator does on our tight clay loams. Close spaced low disturbance legs lifting the profile without mixing. Steps towards improving soil structure sufficiently to DD in a few years I hope.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Chitted Piper’s been in nearly 4 weeks on best silt. This is not an early season folks.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

The going on heavy land is now medium, but the Markies sample is good

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

24 days

30metres. Just in case you were wondering, on the 1st of October, how far a Kuhn spreader can chuck wheat.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Not a slug in site, never seen so much allelopathy as this year in the combine swath in second cereals. Not big areas effected but much to learn for future years.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

I said I’d never grow it again having written 75% of this years crop off but here we are again slotting in some farm saved OSR into very adequate moisture and some excellent soil structure after hybrid barley

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

Day and a half’s work for three blokes.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

6 years

First potato harvest in my own right complete, wheel change later to get it drilled up over the weekend and I think we can then call it winter!

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

2 years

Belfy Barley- straw still green, grain 11.4%.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

3 years

Didn't start until lunchtime because of the rain but this afternoon is making up for it. Piper destined for a local packing customer 👍

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

The last one of 2023 Quality 🍟👌👌👌 Yield 👎

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

7 days

Autumn

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

4 years

Planting Maris Piper today on some good silt for a supermarket packer customer. Also planting an @AdasTerrington nutrition / fertiliser trial, always trying to learn. Sprayer trackways to be down with phacelia and other pollen rich species as soon as we’ve finished planting

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

5 years

I have to say, I'm really looking forward to finding my new grading gang from the dole queue in last night's Universal Credit program. I think we will reach peak agricultural excellence.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

7 years

I'm back working for the British Antarctic Survey for a few months, driving a Pistenbully and sledges of cargo across the Ronnie Ice Shelf as part of a small convoy supplying a remote scientific camp. Standby for pictures of snow, wildlife and awesome engineering.

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

1 year

There is no greater relief in farming after a massive days picking with no previous results than an all clear hotbox sample

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Mike Neaverson

@MikeNeaverson

10 months

2023- planted in May, got hitched, built another shed and graded a few spuds. Only had to call the wrecker out once. Thanks to everyone who’s helped along the way. We ride again in 2024 but I think I’m going to take January off social media. Happy New Year everyone.

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