PROFILE Scarff’s Farms “


Above: Dropping foliage wires into place ready for the new season’s growth


Left: After last summer’s perfect growing conditions, the vines planted in 2017 have been pruned ready for their first harvest this year.


“We’ve got a lot to learn, but Ridgeview’s manager is always on the end of the phone to help us with the timing of critical de- cisions, so we’re feeling optimistic and confident.”


Arable farming remains the foundation of the business, which


We specialise in the supply, installation and repair of all types of industrial and agricultural doors including


• Roller shutters • Sliding Doors • Steel Security Doors • High Speed doors • Folding shutters • PVC Curtains


Based in Suffolk


SID SID SID


has grown from Stuart’s father’s original 80ha to 350ha, a mix of owned, contracted and rented land. Wheat, oilseed rape – both high and low erucic acid varieties – and peas are being grown this year. Spring beans, spring barley and millet make an appearance at


sition, moving away from plough- ing and heavy cultivations to a sys- tem of fewer passes with minimal disturbance. The decision was strengthened when, in 2017, after a wet August, most of the second wheat land was ploughed, and the resulting crops were very patchy. “This season we just tickled the


surface, rolled and walked away. We sprayed off in October just be- fore drilling and using a Vader-


Ltd. Support 24/7 Ltd. SID Ltd. APRIL 2019 • ANGLIA FARMER 23


We had to look at diversifying, to be less reliant on global markets


times, but Maple peas, grown on contract for Church of Bures, have been a constant part of the rota- tion for the past 20 years. “It’s an old fashioned variety


mainly for the racing pigeon mar- ket, easy to grow, but hard to com- bine, as it goes flat to the ground,” says Stuart. “So it requires a lot of patience at harvest – but it can make the best margin on the farm.”


The farm is in a process of tran-


stad Rapid we more or less direct drilled into the chipped up stub- bles. The crops look great.” Domestic brown bin compost from Material Change at Creet- ing has been added for the past 10 years or more to improve the condition and fertility of the soil. Worm numbers have increased markedly and the soil is in a much healthier state from add- ing compost and reducing soil dis- turbance, and the planned intro- duction of cover crops should help, too, says Stuart. “It’s a long term process, but we’re seeing the benefits now. The next step is to sow cover crops be- hind the combine with a Claydon drill. It will be trial and error, but we’ve been to lots of meetings and looked at what other farmers are doing.”


CONTACTS


T: 07884 260780 E: James@scarff.co.uk Facebook: Scarff’s Farms Twitter: @JamesScarff


Ltd.


t: 01449 768112 m: 07557 956001


www.suffolkindustrialdoors.co.uk e: info@suffolkindustrialdoors.co.uk


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