Agrimart August 2026 Issue by Agrimart

www.edwinthompson.co.uk

Berwick: 01289 304432 | Galashiels: 01896 751300

AT THE HEART OF COUNTRY MATTERS

Budgeting & Cashflow Monitoring

Strategic Business Planning

Grazing Lets & Cropping Agreements

Record Keeping & Performance Analysis

Contract Farming & Share Farming Agreements

Farm Advisory Service Reports & Advice

Environmental & Subsidies Claims

Carbon Audits & Natural Capital

Come and see our rural team at the Border Union Show, 24th - 25th July

TRUSTED ADVISORS TO INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES SPEAK TO

LOWLAND ARCHITECTS

PRESERVE • ENHANCE • CREATE A conservation and residential focused architecture studio based in the Scottish Borders, pairing modern thinking with traditional craft.

•

• Planning Applications and Building Warrants

• Listed building renovation and conversion

• Residential extensions and attic conversions

• Interior alterations and reconfiguration

• Steading conversions and farm diversification

• Rural new build and bespoke homes

Mark White

Chartered Architect, Principal

Conservation Accredited ARB • RIAS Our expertise

• Commercial and residential developments 07896

Farm Secretarial Services

Gavin S. Murray Threipland

Blacksmith & Agricultural Engineer

Forging, fabrication & repair

Vintage machinery

Here at Glendale Engineering, we are proud to be able to say that we have over 35 years’ experience designing and manufactur ing Agricultural Buildings & Equipment.

• Special offers available on Cattle & Sheep Hurdles, Gates & Water Troughs •

Suppliers of:

-Cattle Handling & Feeding Equipment

• Cattle Handling & Feeding Equipment

-Sheep Handling & Feeding Equipment

-Sheep Portarace

• Sheep Handling & Feeding Equipment

- ATV Trailers

• Sheep Portarace

- Agricultural Buildings

• ATV Trailers

-Electronic Cattle & Sheep Weigh Systems

• Agricultural Buildings

- Large quantity of box section and pipe, Phone for special offers

• Electronic Cattle & Sheep Weigh Systems

• 9”x3” Timbers & 6”x3” Timbers In Stock

• Big Six Fibre Cement Sheets In Stock

Wooler : 01668 281464

Hexham : 01434 603078

Email : info@glendaleegineering.co.uk

Wooler : 01668 281464

Graeme Wilson : 07971 880275

Web : www.glendaleengineering.co.uk

John Common : 07981 890999

info@glendaleengineering.co.uk www.glendaleengineering.co.uk

USED

835205 I David Hamilton 07866 799085

Billy Reid 07736 928072

See more at www.scotagri.com

Dressing home saved seed for over 30 years

Owner operator independent personal service

AllChemicals available. NAACmember.

Helping you increase margin

CleaningMachinery-LawDenis& Gravit ySelectors. Peris talticChemicalPumps DigitalWeigh Beams.

For further information please contact Steve McKee on 0771 3625957

For Fur ther Informationpleasecontact Steve McKeeon 01665603345 or 07713625957 E-mail: steve@afsseed.com

Email: steve@afsseed.com 20 Tyelaw Meadows, Shilbottle, Northumberland, NE66 2JJ

Waleric House, Northumberland Street Alnmouth, Northumberland NE66 2RS Tel: 01665603345

TheNorth East SpecialistinMobileSeedProcessing

• ALL GRADES OF AGGREGATE PRODUCED

• DELIVERY

• COLLECTION

• READY-MIX CONCRETE

• AGRICULTURAL MIXES FOR ALL PURPOSES

• DELIVERY AND COLLECTION

FOR SALES AND ORDERS CALL BLINKBONNY WEIGHBRIDGE: 01573 460200 or 07974 968148

PART OF BREEDON GROUP– FOR OTHER LOCATIONS PLEASE VISIT: https://www.breedongroup.com/location-finder

,

AUGUST SPECIAL OFFER STOCK LIST

⋙ N E W S T O C K

NEW DEUTZ-FAHR 9306TS COMBINE 6 STRAW WALKERS, 353HP

25FT VARICROP HEADER 0% FINANCE £209500+VAT

NEW DEUTZ-FAHR 6230TTV 6.1L 230HP TTV 60KPH TRANS FULL SPEC WITH RTK STEERING 0% FINANCE £137000+VAT

NEW DEUTZ-FAHR 6180 6.1L, 180HP, WARRIOR JAVE GREEN, RC SHIFT, 50 KPH, FRONT LINK & PTO, LED LIGHTS, STEER READY 0% FINANCE £121000+VAT

NEW DEUTZ-FAHR 6170 6.1L ,170HP, RC SHIFT 50KPH TRANS, LED LIGHTS, 1 ELECTRIC & 3 MECH SPOOLS 0% FINANCE £108000+VAT

NEW DEUTZ-FAHR 6135C 135HP RV SHIFT 50KPH TRANSMISSION, 3 MECHANICAL SPOOLS, FRONT LINKAGE 0% FINANCE POA

NEW DEUTZ-FAHR 5105 KEYLINE 105HP, POWER SHUTTLE 40KPH TRANS, LOADER READY MECH LIFT 0% FINANCE £45000+VAT

NEW McHALE PROPEL M6-770 TEDDER HYDRAULIC HEADLAND CURTAIN 0% FINANCE £16000+VAT

NEW POTTINGER SYNKRO 3030 CULTIVATOR £14500+VAT

NEW DIECI AGRIPLUS 42.7 EVO 2 VARIO 40 KPH TRANSMISSION, PUH, LED LIGHTS POA

NEW MCCAULEY 10T DROP SIDE TRAILER C/W HYDRAULIC BRAKES £9500+VAT

NEW CFMOTO CFORCE 450 POWER STEERING, CVT TRANSMISSION, FRONT WINCH, ROAD LEGAL £5950+VAT

NEW LWC 3 POINT LINKAGE HYDRAULIC BALE CARRIER £1950+VAT

NEW LWC 1.5M MUCK GRAB ON EURO BRACKETS £1950+VAT

NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY 8FT 10 TINE MUCK FORK ANY TELEHANDER BRACKETS £2300+VAT

NEW AB WIGHT 60 DEGREE VEE DITCHING BUCKET 8 TONNE ANY BRACKETS £1150+VAT

NEW AB WIGHT EURO TO QFIT FIT ADAPTER FRAME £750+VAT

NEW FLEMING TOP4 4FT TOPPER £1250+VAT

NEW OXDALE 3 POINT LINKAGE HYDRAULIC LOG SPLITTER £850+VAT

NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY GALV 5X3 ATV TRAILER £1050+VAT

NEW AB WIGHT HEAVY DUTY IBC TRAILER GALVANISED CHASSIS C/W DRINKING BOWL £895+VAT

• BALE KICKER WITH ADJUSTABLE SPRINGS

• BELT (X3)

• BOOK V6/V8 ENGLISH

• BRAKED AXLE 70X300X90 V6

• C/U 15K STD CAMLESS A/F V-SERIES

• CROP ROLLER ASSEM SPRING TINES

• DRAWBAR STAND STANDARD

See us at the Border Union Show on 24th & 25th July

• ONE OFF REFUNDABLE BOTTLE DEPOSIT - JUST PAY FOR THE REFILL

• IN STOCK 2L, 20L & 50L BOTTLES

NEW McHALE R5 BALE GRAB ON EURO BRACKETS £1450+VAT FROM £9.50

• GEARBOX V-SERIES 540RPM

• HITCH EYE STANDARD

• HYDRUALIC BRAKES

• ISOBUS TRACTOR LOOM V6/V8

• ISO-PLAY 6 ISOBUS TERMINAL V-SERIES

• NO SPECIFIC ROAD APPROVAL

• WHEEL 560/45 R22.5 VREDESTEIN

Calf

Portequip Mobile Dipper

Bateman Bespoke Cattle Handling

Combi-Clamp

Bateman Squeeze Crush

26’ Trailer

MACHINE OF THE MONTH

EX-DEMO Vaderstad CR650

Carrier. New, shop-soiled, unbraked, Road Traffic Kit, SMV-Sign, System Disc Aggressive, Crossboard Heavy -X-Disc, E-Control, Steelrunner - Ball Towing Eye 42mm

NOW £53,500 +VAT

AND

A SELECTION OF OUR MACHINERY

2022 Manitou MLA-T533-145 Telehandler. 4,800 hours

2020 Manitou MLT741-140V Telehandler. 5,000 hours

2023 Manitou MLT635-130PS Telehandler. 3,300 hours

2020 New Holland T6.180 Dynamic Command Tractor. 2,500 hours

2021 New Holland T7.210 Auto Command Tractor. 5,250 hours

2018 NewHolland T7.260 Power Command Tractor. 7,000 hours

2020 Vaderstad RD300S Seed Drill. 2,000 hectares

2020 Grange 3m CCT Hydraulic Reset Toolbar. 1,250 hectares

Lloyd Ltd Kelso

Stuart Dodsworth: 07971 491 058, stuart.dodsworth@lloyd.ltd.uk

Alan Renton: 07974 797 604, alan.renton@lloyd.ltd.uk

Alex Wight: 07721 333 828, alex.wight@lloyd.ltd.uk

Lloyd Ltd Lothians

Alan Renton: 07974 797 604, alan.renton@lloyd.ltd.uk

Alex Wight: 07721 333 828, alex.wight@lloyd.ltd.uk

KVERNELAND SPECIALS

2300

A TRANSPLANT AT LAST

Not everyone knows this but being the big and powerful girl I am, I need two batteries to get me going. Joined positive to negative 2 x 12 volts = 24 which is what I need to start. Although in fact to be honest I don’t really need any batteries to bring my engine to life, a tug on my necklace I can fire up without electrical assistance. Without batteries though I am not road legal, I have no lights, indicators or a Mr Whippy to tell other road users I am on the move. Anyway after months of being in a grump and feeling uncooperative by refusing to start he bought me one new battery. Initially this was enough to get me going and I was at last moved from the place I had sat outside since March to a shed with a roof, but the one new battery seems incompatible with the old one and this week I was down again wanting the old one replaced. At last I have done some work, I haven’t had a pull since a shed was moved here on March 19th. On July 3rd, that is 15 weeks or 105 days later, I pulled shed 4 here. That is the longest period without work I have ever had. Then more bad news I heard yesterday, through the pages of this August magazine, he has sold the rearing shed to a farmer in Wales. That is another nail in my coffin. The rearing shed was new in 2007, the same year I came to live here. I have moved it more times than I care to remember, and now it is going to be dismantled and moved for the third and final time as far as I am concerned.

I look forward to seeing you all at the Border Union Show, with two new batteries I hope and a fixed hole in my brake pipes.

In a shed at last. Flat battery, oil leak and air loss - oh the joys of old age

ENHANCED GRAIN TREATMENT

LONG-TERM GRAIN STORAGE

INCREASED PROTEIN – Lower feed costs

INCREASED pH – Alkaline & safer to feed

INCREASED PERFORMANCE

SIMPLE, ECONOMICAL & POWERFUL FEEDING

With feed prices set to remain high, making the most of home-grown cereals and reducing the reliance on bought in feed protein will be essential to minimise feed costs this year.

However, this does not have to be complicated or at the expense of performance. Treating cereals with ALpHA at harvest, or all year round with ALpHA365, not only increases the protein content of grain but also increases its pH to 9, allowing you to feed higher levels of alkaline starch to help maintain rumen health and increase the performance of dairy, beef

ENHANCED GRAIN TREATMENT

Cheaper, Safer, Higher Performance. Sound to good to be true? The very real benefits of adopting a simpler, more powerful ALpHA feeding system sometimes have to be seen to be believed. If you would like to see ALpHA in

LONG-TERM

INCREASED PROTEIN – Lower feed costs

INCREASED pH – Alkaline &

INCREASED

SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES

BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS

SURFACE DRESSING WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES

SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES

BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS

SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS

TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS

CALL FOR A FREE NO OBLIGATION QUOTATION & SURVEY

LOCAL COMPANY WITH OVER 45 YEARS EXPERIENCE

OBLIGATION QUOTATION & SURVEY

SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS

TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS

DRAINAGE, KERBING, GROUNDWORKS

PRIVATE & COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN

SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, PATHWAYS, CAR PARKS

TARMACADAM, ASPHALT, PATCHING & POTHOLE REPAIRS

DRAINAGE, KERBING,

DRAINAGE, KERBING, GROUNDWORKS

PRIVATE & COMMERCIAL WORK UNDERTAKEN

APPROVED CONTRACTOR

SURFACE DRESSING WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES

SILAGE PITS, FARM ROADS, DRIVEWAYS, ESTATES

BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS, DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS

WITH NATURAL STONE FINISHES

BLOCK PAVING OF PATHWAYS,

Warreners House,

Langtonlees

Broad eld Farm, Symington

Warreners House, Morpeth

Sandystones, Jedburgh

The Stiel, Yarrowford

Broad eld Farm, Symington

APPROVED CONTRACTOR

Sandystones, Jedburgh

The Stiel, Yarrowford

Broad eld Farm, Symington

Langtonlees Farm, Duns

Sandystones, Jedburgh

The Stiel, Yarrowford

Langtonlees Farm, Duns

The Stiel, Yarrowford Broad eld Farm, Symington

Langtonlees Farm, Duns

Warreners House, Morpeth

Sandystones, Jedburgh

The Stiel, Yarrowford Broad eld Farm, Symington

Langtonlees Farm, Duns

DIRT DRIVER HOT/COLD PRESSURE WASHERS. BUILT IN THE UK

4 MODELS IN 110, 240 & 440V, FROM 90 TO 200 BAR and 12 TO 15 LPM 25LT DETERGENT STORAGE, INTERNAL WRAS COMPLIANT WATER TANK, EFFICIENT THERMOSTATICALLY CONTROLLED BOILER, TIMED SHUT DOWN. OPTIONS INCLUDE STAINLESS STEEL OR PAINTED HOOD. **************************************

OTHER MACHINES IN THE DIRT DRIVER RANGE INCLUDE COLD PRESSURE WASHERS AND ‘TAMPERPROOF’ CABINET PRESSURE WASHERS, SINGLE AND THREE PHASE. *************************************

LOTHIAN & BORDERS PRESSURE WASHERS ARE DISTRIBUTORS OF QUALITY CLEANING EQUIPMENTFOR ALL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS.

ALL TYPES OF PRESSURE WASHERS AND FLOORCARE EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING SCRUBBER DRYERS, SWEEPERS AND VACUUMS

ALL MAKES SERVICED AND REPAIRED REFURBISHED HOT PRESSURE WASHERS ALWAYS IN STOCK.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO VIEW THE COMPLETE RANGE

MOBILE 07860 261088

E: info@lbpressurewashers.co.uk W: www.lbpressurewashers.co.uk

John Deere 6120M, 2018

John Deere 6130M, 2020

USED TRACTORS

John Deere 6175R, choice

John Deere 6230, 2009

John Deere 6130R, 2017

John Deere 6130R, choice

John Deere 6155R, choice

John Deere 6155R, 2018

John Deere 6155R, 2021

John Deere 6155R, Choice

John Deere 6R 130, 2022

John Deere 6130R, 2020

John Deere 6R 150, 2023 choice

John Deere 6R 155, 2023

John Deere 6250R PG+5Q, 2018

John Deere 6250R PG+5P, 2020

John Deere 6250R,2021

John Deere 6330, 2008

John Deere 6920, 2004

John Deere 6R 175, 2023 choice

John Deere 7R 330, 2021

John Deere 8400R, 2018

Claas Arion 610, 2023

Valtra T234, 2021

USED TELEHANDLERS/WHEELED LOADERS

Kramer KT276 Telehandler ex-demo

Kramer KT3610 Telehandler ex-demo

Kramer KT407 Telehandler ex-demo

Kramer KT559 Telehandler ex-demo

MACHINE

Kramer KT356 Telehandler, 2018

Kramer KT356 Telehandler, 2022

Kramer KT457 Telehandler,2020

Variable Chamber

2.2 M Pick Up

Maxicut 13 Knife Chopper • 500 Tyres • Bale Trak Plus Monitor • 7000 Bales • Bale Density Adjustment • 5 Ft Bale Size

CULTIVATION

Kuhn HR3004D Power Harrow

Kuhn HR4004D Power Harrow

GRASSLAND/BALERS

John Deere 12FT Grass Rollers A

John Deere 800SM Topper Ha

Kuhn GA13131 Grass Windrower He

DalBo Ratoon 3 leg Subsoiler

Flexi Coil 7.2m Folding Rollers

Kverneland 3M Combi S-Drill Pro2

CROP CARE

John Deere R732i Trailed Sprayer

John Deere R4140i SP Sprayer 2021

Kuhn 1102 HEMC

Kuhn 40.2 H EMC

Kverneland Exacta CL Fertiliser Spreader

Berthoud 4300 Trailed Sprayer, 2012

Allman front tank 600 Litre capacity

MISCELLANEOUS

Kuhn 3570M Primor Bedder/Feeder

Kuhn 5570M Bedder/Feeder

Kuhn 3570M PRIMOR Trailed Bedder

Kuhn 5570 Bedder

KD 712 Feeder Wagon

TRAILERS Stewart GX15FT, Flat Trailer 28ft long

Stewart GX24SF Stock Trailer

V74 Rolland Livestock Trailer

Marshall Tipping Trailer QM14

NC 12T dump trailer

Warwick 10T flat trailer

IFOR WILLIAMS TRAILERS

TRAILERS AVAILABLE FOR HIRE

DP120S Livestock Trailer

GH106G Plant Trailer

HB610 Horse Trailer

LM166 Flatbed TA510G Livestock Trailer

Livestock Trailer

Tipper Trailer

Kuhn BPR280PRO Ha

Claas Volto 670 Tedder A

FENDT 456 Windrower A

KM 3m Grass Topper A

MJ30-560 Grass Topper A

Quicke Flexgrip Bale Squeeze Ha

HARVESTERS

John Deere 2056 combine, 1995 J

John Deere 8500 Self Propelled Forager, 22 C

John Deere S790 combine, 2022 C

John Deere T560 combine, 2021 A

John Deere T5601, 2015 Ha

John Deere T660i, 2015 J

John Deere T670 HM combine, 2017 C

John Deere T670HM combine, Choice Ha

ATV/UTILITY VEHICLES

John Deere TH6x4 Diesel Ha

John Deere XUV855D, choice A

John Deere XUV865M, choice Ha

John Deere XUV865M, Choice A

John Deere XUV865M, 2020 J

John Deere XUV865M, Choice C

Kawasaki 360 Quad Bike, 2010 Ha

Direct

Rejuvenation

Ploughing

Fertiliser

Agri Haulage

Groundworks

Topping & Mulching

Tubeline

R. WOOD & SONS

Peter Graham Contracts Ltd

Contracting Services

Our new McHale Fusion Vario Plus is a fully automatic variable chamber baler wrapper which can apply ﬁlm or net wrap to the barrel of the bale. Delivering optimum bale shape and a high density with a 25 knife chopper unit. The advantages of a chamber ﬁlm system are:

~ Acts as a wrapping layer for silage,straw or hay keeping them dry up to 6 foot diameter

Perfect to bale your herbal leys Other

John Gray Contracting Services

Our McHale Fusion Vario Plus is a fully automatic variable chamber baler wrapper which can apply film or net wrap to the barrel of the bale. Delivering optimum bale shape and a high density with a 25 knife chopper unit. The advantages of a chamber film system are:

Mowing

• Topping grass

• Muck spreading

• Combining

• Acts as a wrapping layer for silage,straw or hay keeping them dry up to 6 foot diameter

• Results in better shaped bales

• Delivers high quality silage

Tedding

• Makes recycling easier

Should net wrap be required for hay or straw, this can be done with a simple changeover

• Direct drilling

• Grass drilling

• Cultivating

• Subsoiling

• Slurry spreading

Perfect to bale your herbal leys Other jobs include:

Spraying

•

Contact:

Connon Construction Ltd.

Construction of shuttered slurry tanks and silos (all built to SEPA requirements)

Christopher07843 208 544

Patrick07701 040 681

Contact:

Slurry spreading available with umbilical, dribble bars and ferry tankers. Tractors on floatation tyres

Dung spreader hire or complete service

Complete silage service

All types of digger work undertaken

Christopher07843 208 544 Patrick07701 040 681

Connon Farms / Connon Construction

Prentice Agriculture Straw and Baling Berwickshire

Choice of bale size, either; 8’ × 4’ × 3’ or 8’ × 4’ × 2.5’ Also 2 x 32ft bale trailers can be supplied if required to clear fields. Substantial quantity of barley/wheat straw in the swath required. Cleared by bale chaser where possible. For more info please contact either: Keith on 07703 199 255 Mark on

• HEDGE CUTTING • MULCHING • TRIPLE SAWBLADE • DRAINAGE • DITCHING • TRACK/ROAD GRADING

• FOUNDATIONS • PONDS • AGRICULTURAL & COMMERCIAL CONCRETE WORK • FABRICATION WORKS • FENCING (WITH TRACTOR OR DIGGER OPTION) • SNOW CLEARING

OFFERING DRAINAGE WITH SOILMAX TILE PLOUGH WITH MINIMAL DISTURBANCE

• GPS CONTROLLED DEPTH

• DEPTH OF UP TO 1.2 METERS

• BORE OF PIPE UP TO 4 INCHES

• WITH OR WITHOUT GRAVEL

FOR HIRE

• TRACTOR HIRES UP TO 360HP, GPS

• DIGGER HIRE 9T, 13T, 14T

• TWIN DRUM VIBRATING ROLLER 80, 120

• D4 DOZER • DUMPER 1T, 3T, 9T

• DUMP TRAILERS UP TO 20T

• GRAIN/SILAGE TRAILERS UP TO 18T

• FLATBED TRAILERS 32FT

• LOWLOADER 32FT TRI AXLE

• TOPPER HIRE, BATWING & FLAIL

• IRRIGATION REELS & PUMPS

MULCHING & SAWBLADE HEAD TREE / LOG GRAB

• WOODLAND CLEARANCE

• GORSE, WILLOW & BRASH

• TREES UP TO 300MM

• TREE ROOTS & STUMPS

IF YOUR FARM TRACK OR FOREST ROAD NEEDS SOME ATTENTION, WE HAVE THE SKILLS, MACHINERY AND EXPERIENCE TO DELIVER A LASTING SOLUTION.

• REDUCES OR ELIMINATES THE NEED TO IMPORT MATERIALS.

• IMPROVES DRAINAGE TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE.

• QUICK AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTION THAT MINIMISES DISRUPTION TO TRAFFIC MOVEMENTS.

KENNY HALL & SON

Agricultural Engineer

• Roof & Sheeting Repairs

• Grain Machinery Repairs

• On-site Welding

• Kit Sheds Supplied & Built

• Gates and Feeding Troughs Made to Measure

• Buildings dismantled or rebuilt

• Demolition Mobile: 07740 350461

R L SMITH & SONS LTD

Talking......from Lincolnshire

BYREWALLS FENCING

All types of Agricultural Fencing, Garden Fencing and Decking

A & E Brown, Byrewalls, Gordon, Berwickshire TD3 6JU

Contact: Andrew 07725 583737 Euan 07774 004622 Evenings 01573 410260

July 6th 2026

Will Howe is an arable farmer from Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The soils are predominantly heavy. There is 1000ha of cropping including winter wheat, spring beans, spring oats and oilseed rape. He also manages a contracting business Thorpe Farming Ltd.

It turns out I am not a fan of climate change. We like to go as a family on a Greek holiday for 7 days between school finishing and harvest. To be conservative this year we were due to be away from 28th June to the 5th July. This was deemed “harvest” safe when booking it as we wouldn’t get two hot dry summers in a row…

The day we left I was looking nervously at the OSR as the stems had gone from a dark green to a very light green and hoping the forecast damp week would keep it safe until we got home. Whilst away I made the fateful mistake of looking at the forecast which showed it had been wrong and was now warm with strong winds predicted. Cue mild panic, a crop inspection by a kindly neighbour and a reshuffling of boat hire days. Two days later I was on a flight back to London. Our OSR was all cut by the time Vicky got back with the kids at between 7.2-9% and looking like averaging 3.75t/ha which is disappointing given how the crop looked, but pleasing given it has been in a “drought” since March. There was plenty of biomass, there were just not enough pods on the side shoots.

Whilst organising flights, initially via Milan and then thankfully a direct flight to Heathrow had a seat become available, I did think why can’t I be more Greek in my approach to life. I love boating around the Greek islands, so we had hired a sensible one for a day. On arriving to pick it up Dino said he was just going to check the water separator and then we were good to go. 90 seconds later there were lots of profanities, both English and Greek, resulting with his mate Carlos having his finger stuck in the fuel line preventing anymore petrol from escaping. Dino hopped on his scooter to get parts and 15 mins later returned and all was well. When thanking him for the speedy service he told us, “I went very fast, a policeman stopped me as I went zoom down the road, but I told him I was too busy and needed to fix the boat so just drove off”. What a great attitude!

My efforts of relaxation are being slightly thwarted by my neighbour putting his farm up for a 5yr FBT. It is approx. 800 acres, and apparently even had some Scottish farmers come down for the viewing day. I keep crunching the numbers and it is not financially exciting. With prices where they are, of both inputs and outputs, and the impending fertiliser tax adding another £45/ ha to growing costs there seems very little profit in it. And I haven’t even factored climate change into the spreadsheet yet…

Far more fun

And we are off

CONTRACTORS SERVICES

Owengillard@yahoo.co.uk

Multi-disciplined groundworks company covering the Scottish Borders, North Northumberland and the Lothians. We specialise in the following:

• Mobile / on site crushing & screening

• Earth works

• Drainage

• River works

• All types of concreting

• Paving / slabbing

• Foundations

• Roads

Owengillard@yahoo.co.uk

• Machine hire

Multi-disciplined groundworks company, covering the Scottish Borders, North Northumberland and the Lothians. We specialise in the following:

• Mobile/on site crushing & screening

• Earth works

• Drainage

• River works

• All types of concreting

• Paving/slabbing

• Foundations

• Roads

• correct variations across fields

• independent analysis

• 4 samples/ha for accurate pH maps

• all nutrients can be tested

• recommendations to suit your enterprise Contact us to discuss how we can help reduce your costs with the use of organic products Tel 01875 320363

Tipper Hire

Low Loader Hire

Dozer Hire

Tracked Dumper Hire

CONTRACTORS SERVICES

Lime & Alternative Fertilisers

Other Alternative Fertilisers & Organic Products Muck & Slurry Spreading, Silage, Bailing

Articulated & 8 Wheeled Bulk Tippers, Walking Floor & Low Loader Services, Agricultural Bulk Fertiliser, Aggregates, Wood Chip

Tree Shearing, Forwarding, Chipping, Mulching

Agriparts Borders Ltd

GYS MI160P Inverter Welder - Runs off a 13amp plug - Free Techno 11 Helmet - £199 plus vat

GYS EASYCUT40 Plasma Cutter - Ex Demo - Clean Cut 15mm, £100 off now only £599 plus vat

OXFORD Migmaker Compact 182 - Traditional Transformer Mig, Single Phase @ £595 plus vat

OXFORD Cutmaker 753 - 3Ph Inverter Plasma Cutter 400v - Clean Cut 40mm @ £1690 + vat

CEBORA Pocket Pulse Mig c/w Aluminium Kit - Set Steel Type, Set thickness, go - £1490 + vat

GYS 18R Induction Heater - Special Price of £389 + vat - Choice of 2 Lawn Mowers from £399 + vat. - Choice of 8 different Generators from - £395 plus vat

Agriparts Borders Ltd Spylaw Road, Kelso TD5 8DL - 01573 226 526 - info@agriparts co.uk - www.agriparts.co.uk - 07870 202 017

On Our Farm

July 7th 2026

Hugo Lee farms in partnership with his father, Guy, at Sandystones, near St Boswells. Arable crops of wheat, oilseed rape, malting barley and oats are grown, 500 Angus cattle are finished annually, 8000 organic hens produce eggs for Waitrose and 8,000 organic point of lay pullets are reared each year. Are weather patterns changing, are cool dry springs and long hot summers the new normal? If this is the case, then I definitely think Northern England and Scotland are going to be the best places to live and farm. Currently I am out in France for a week with Jess’s parents, sisters and their families. We are staying in a lovely house which thankfully has a swimming pool as daytime temperatures hover around the low 40’s! Speaking to locals this is now their second extreme heatwave this year with more forecast over the summer. They say that it is ruining tourism with many canceling altogether or not visiting the local areas deciding to stay in their accommodation due to the stifling heat. Could summer holidays in France soon become a thing of the past? In the UK harvests are getting earlier every year with many in the south starting at the end of June! Harvest at home is starting 2 weeks earlier than when I came back in 2017. We must adapt to this changing climate by growing crops and varieties that suit this new weather pattern.

I love going on holiday and spending some quality time with Jess and the children. However, I wish the process of going away could be a little less stressful. There always seems to be a last minute panic to get a mountain of jobs done beforehand with no time to do them. This is not helped by sports day, speech day and summer concert all happening at the end of term which I try my hardest to attend. Despite our best efforts we always seem to be packing into the early hours of the morning with only a few hours of sleep before leaving for the airport feeling exhausted!

The fat cattle prices have started to creep up over the past couple of weeks, which is encouraging. We bought our first batch of 40 spring grazers inside last week and I am pleased with how they have performed averaging just under 1kg/day at grass. Second cut is going to be taken at the end of the week which is slightly earlier than normal but the grass is starting to head and I want to go for quality rather than quantity. It will be interesting to see how it analyses and if my focus on growing better quality silage this year has worked. The new hen shed is progressing well with half the system now installed and all services connected. There is still lots to do but hopefully we will get everything completed in plenty of time and avoid any last minute panics.

Whilst I have been away Bogdan and Yurii have been busy washing and moving our laying shed ready for our final batch of Sandystones reared pullets. Sadly we are having to sell the rearing shed as it is on part of the range for the new shed. I wish you all a safe and successful harvest.

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Talking......from the boundary July

Guy

8th 2026

In the 1980’s I was farming on the Surrey/Hampshire border. Hampshire is a great farming county, the predominant soil type is chalk which is one of the most forgiving and easier soils to work with. It does not require drains, or ditches and acts like a sponge retaining sufficient moisture for most crop requirements but never waterlogging in times of surplus rain. It is also very easy working, not requiring large machines to bust clods of clay. The only downside are the flints which can make some fields look more like a rocky desert. Flints are very hard on tractor tyres causing wear and cuts. Moving on from the soil, Hampshire also boasts many long standing agricultural clubs and societies. Growmore clubs were established in the dark days of the second world war, when the country’s food security was threatened as there had been such a reliance on imported products especially from America. To feed the nation the ‘War Ag’ ordered the ploughing up of a lot of the grassland for the production of cereal crops. To advance education and mutual learning Growmore Clubs were established in Hampshire, many still exist, today there are more than nine thriving societies. I was a member of the Binsted Growmore Club, we had inter club quiz nights, farming competitions and social events through the year. Within the club we had teams with names such as Fugles and Goldings which are varieties of hops which had been grown in the area. The other great club in the county is the Hampshire Farmers Club, (previously known as the Fareham and Hants). This has a prestigious annual competition for the best farms in various sizes and categories. The previous year’s winners of each class are entered in the championship the following year. This is one of the most highly respected competitions in the UK. Like many other Border farmers, I have judged both a class and the championship. Over two days you and a fellow judge visit five farms for an in depth view and analysis of the business. When we moved North in 1990 one aspect I missed were the people I had met and the things I had learnt through the Growmore Clubs as well as the opportunity to show off a crop or field one was proud of. In 2004 at a meeting of the Newtown St Boswells and District Farmers Club (known as the Boswells Show) I floated the idea of a stock and crop competition for the best field of wheat, oats, barley etc as well as cattle and sheep. This was picked up with enthusiasm and 22 years later it is a thrill to see this event still thriving. In February we have a meeting to choose the judges and appoint stewards with classes being judged in early July. I have escorted many judges round over the years, it is very rewarding showing outsiders round the Borders and the quality of crops and stock we have. Yesterday I drove just over 100 miles showing Tom Pate, Agrimart contributor, the 15 fields of wheat that had entered this year’s competition. The winners are announced at the Show which is on July 18th this year, where cups are presented and prizes given.

Lee

Tom Pate judging the wheat

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Talking......Business with SAC Consulting

Can you afford not to know your cost of production?

July 2026

The past few years have shown just how quickly the economics of farming can change. Fertiliser, fuel, machinery and labour have all seen significant increases, whilst grain prices have fluctuated just as rapidly. With so much uncertainty, understanding the true cost of producing each tonne of grain has never been more important.

The figures in the tables below were produced in early June before the Middle East ceasefire. They illustrate how relatively modest increases in two key inputs, fertiliser and fuel, can have a significant impact on overall cost of production. A 25% increase in fertiliser prices alongside a 42% rise in fuel costs adds over £12/tonne to winter wheat production and more than £32/tonne to oilseed rape.

While these figures are examples, they demonstrate how quickly margins can tighten. When multiplied across hundreds or thousands of tonnes, relatively small increases soon become tens of thousands of pounds of additional expenditure.

This is why regularly reviewing accounts, analysing enterprise performance and budgeting is so valuable. Cost of production isn’t just a figure for the accountant - it is a management tool. Understanding where costs are incurred, how they compare year on year, allow a business to make informed and confident decisions on crop rotation and helps to identify where cost efficiencies can be made.

For more information on any of the above, please contact your local consultant.

SAC St Boswells on 01835 823 322 or stboswells@sac.co.uk.

Katie Forster

SAC St Boswells

Yield (t/ha)

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Talking

......New Zealand

July 6th 2026

Ian Mackenzie is an arable and dairy farmer from the Canterbury Plain in the South Island of New Zealand. He runs a number of fully irrigated intensive cropping farms, producing grain, vegetable and grass seeds with some stock finishing.

A true winter storm has whistled up from Antarctica and is hammering the eastern coast of the South Island. This is a 1 in 20 year (on average) event when a high pressure system stalls to the east on NZ and a low pressure system gets stuck over us. The result is very cold winds bring heavy snow and rain.

It will be blamed, like every weather event these days, on climate change but, like most of these weather events, they have been occurring with some regularity since records began. There does seem to be a link to the El Niño as most of our big snows have been recorded in El Niños. One of the more memorable big snows was in 1973.

It was my first year at university and a few of us went up to Mt Olympus, a small but very challenging ski field in the Craigeburn Mountains 2 hours west of Christchurch. We had a great weekend skiing but by Sunday afternoon it was snowing heavily. All the other skiers were staying in the lodge up on the ski field for the week. They suggested to us that we should leave while we could. They were all young couples and clearly thought the 5 of us would upset the balance should we get snowed in for a few days. We skied down to our van, an old VW combivan, and headed back to Christchurch. It was a pretty good blizzard but at first the snow wasn’t too thick so we decided to go via the “fine weather road” that cuts across an inland valley to the main west coast road. Every time we got stuck in a snowdrift we fortified ourselves with liquid refreshments to help with the pushing. We eventually got to the top of Porter’s Pass which meant it was downhill all the way to town.

We got to Darfield, a wee town 30 miles west of Christchurch, quite drunk, at about 2am. There we were stopped by a policeman who had been manning a roadblock since the road was closed at 5pm. He was slightly surprised to see our van coming down the closed road ploughing through what was by then a couple of feet of snow. He was even more surprised to find 5 very happy drunk students enjoying the adventure and still partying their way home.

The big snow was followed by a big freeze. Our university was closed and we were all volunteered to go back up into the hills to help rescue sheep and cattle buried in the snow. Large numbers of stock were lost and the storm led to significant investment in farm access tracks and 4 wheel drive machinery to prevent a repeat of the devastation. 20 years later, the next big snow wasn’t anywhere as lethal as a result of this investment. As a postscript, in the spring of ‘74 I had a job working on a sheep and cattle station in the high country. After work, out on the colder country, I could make twice my weekly wage plucking wool off dead sheep the snow had killed the year before. By summer the station cook was complaining about the lingering flavour of decay that was hard to wash off our hands so we gave up on our alternative get rich plan in favour of being fed. This storm is still in full swing so we’ll have to wait to see how much mayhem it causes, but I am at home and won’t have to push a van through snow drifts to qualify for a wee drink.

Talking......North of the Forth July 6th 2026

Tom Pate farms 240ha of arable on a tenanted farm in Angus. Cropping includes wheat, spring barley, rye and oilseed rape along with land let for potatoes and vining peas. Additionally, around 6500 pigs are reared annually under contract and 600 Christmas turkeys sold directly to the public under the KellyBronze franchise. On his wife’s 380ha family farm in the Angus Glens they also run 200 red deer hinds plus followers for venison production, along with developing a forestry enterprise. Occasionally a statistic or number reported in the news makes you sit up and take note. Last month it was reported that £780m has been slashed off the annual British grocery shopping bill (The Grocer, 10th June 2026). British consumers are spending £780m less on food?! This is a startling figure and one which highlights a growing and fundamental change to how consumers buy and eat food. The cause of this phenomenon is the growing trend of weight loss jabs (GLP-1). There are now reportedly well over two million users in the UK alone. Primarily used to manage type-2 diabetes, but what has really driven their demand recently is their ability to reduce appetite, slowing gastric emptying and promoting the feeling of fullness. This has meant they are now widely used as a weight loss aid. Users still have to eat but their calorie intake is much reduced and apparently the foods they require are different. Higher protein diets are recommended whilst cravings for salty, starchy and sweet foods are decreased. Figures from the potato industry suggest that GLP-1s are to blame for a 5-10% reduction in sales across the processed sector with chips and crisps particularly. This is worrying news for tattie growers already feeling bruised from a difficult marketing season. Demand for chocolates, sweets, beers and wines are also seeing a reduction.

Remember the £780m drop is only in grocery sales. The hospitality sector is also seeing the effects with diners ordering less food, swapping mains for starters or requesting smaller portions. Lower average food spend per customer along with those who simply no longer eat out is yet another challenge for a sector that has received its fair share of knocks since the COVID pandemic. More positive is the news for livestock farmers. GLP-1 users require smaller but more protein rich portions. Supermarkets and food retailers are responding by offering new products or rebranding existing items. This obviously presents opportunities for the food sector. At the QMS “Future Thinking on Red Meat Conference”, Dr Phil Hadley of the International Meat Secretariat presented that there will be a swing to fresh/protein foods as consumers look to eat more healthily and GLP-1 users shift their eating habits. Eggs are also seeing a strong uplift in demand. Amusingly, the drugs can have the side effect of leaving users with a dry mouth and bad breath. The Grocer therefore also reports a 20% increase in mouthwash and 24% increase in chewing gum!

Cheaper and easier to take forms of GLP-1s are on their way so the feeling is the number of users will only increase. The food and farming sector will have to adapt and change. The long-term effect of using these drugs is not fully understood so I find it curious that the Government is allowing such rapid uptake. Obviously, a leaner, healthier nation is a good thing but the full ramifications in this approach is fraught with business, social and health side effects. It seems a modern madness that today we are increasingly outsourcing our brains to AI and our healthy eating to a drug.

Let’s also not forget that many of the fat jab manufacturers are overseas companies. UK food industries loss is multinational pharma’s gain?

Contractors have been in to thin a section of forestry

Logic Weed Wiper being used to control weeds in the deer fields

Mucking out pigs between batches

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Talking

......Organic

July 8 th 2026

Simon Bainbridge farms in partnership with his wife Claire and his mother Elisabeth in Northumberland. They run suckler beef, sheep and laying hen enterprises across 650 ha of mainly SDA and moorland - organically.

I have just googled whether a bumper crop of fruit and nuts on the trees indicates a hard winter to come? Reassuringly, it is apparently just charming folklore passed down from generation to generation. It is however, amazing to see the trees laden with fruit and nuts already, and the beech trees are starting to already drop their nuts. Silage wise, we are definitely better prepared for a hard winter this year than last year, if the folklore turns out to be true. The pit is full, last year we were 50% down compared to the year before. Hopefully quality is good too. The new mowers have been money well spent on getting ahead with the cutting. All sheep were clipped by the end of June - a first for us and we will be ahead on spaning lambs too, looking to do them the end of July, so a year of getting everything done early. It’s hard to explain to those who are not involved in the sector how much impact the weather has on everything we do - not just the news worthy events - extreme heat, extreme cold, but things like how a good early spring has helped the crops, the lambs and us, all the way through, not just in that moment. We’re on with all the jobs that get forgotten about normally. Sorting out gateways, a bit of fencing, a tidy up here and there. We have direct drilled the silage fields with a SAM3 organic mix and are making use of the auto steer which is on the new tractor to roll in the seeds. Definitely a high-end bit of arable technology that doesn’t usually feature on our farm. Very fancy. Claire had a conversation with an old school fried the other day who asked how AI was helping us, and maybe we’re a bit behind the curve here, but in our sector, AI isn’t really there for us yet. Mechanisation and automation in the hens, yes. Clever and convenient gadgets on the sheep and cattle side, but it feels that all the AI advances are either on the arable side or within agriculture but before and after the farm gate and certainly designed for the bigger set ups. How can we benefit from AI now? Yes, I could embrace it and get it to help clear out my inbox, but what is out there to help me and the team on a day-to-day basis. It would be interesting to see what there is for the livestock sector on a usable, affordable basis?

For those who remember last month’s article, Claire and I went and did the Great North swim with George. I naively thought I was prepared. I knew there would be no records and it was all about doing it, but I had not bargained on strong, gusty winds and continuous brutal waves. It was really hard work, and we probably swam nearer a mile by being blown off course. My advice to those trying to improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing is to find something different to do!

The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso TD5 8BS

Telephone: 01573 430338

Email: info@walkergroundworks.com

The Old Smiddy, Graden, Kelso, TD5 8BS

Telephone : 01573 430338

Email : info@walkergroundworks.com

Walker Groundworks are a long-serving company, established in 1996, covering a working area including but not restricted to the Scottish Borders, Northumberland and the Lothians.

Our highly skilled and dedicated team are here to help with any of the following works:

Walker Groundworks is a well-established company, founded in 1996, with extensive experience operating across the Scottish Borders, Northumberland, and the Lothians.

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Fishwick

SAS Mobile Seed Cleaning

We offer a high output ser�ice producing �� - �� tonnes per hour of gra�ity separated seed using gra�ity tables, the only real method, not gra�ity selectors

We supply � men per machine - farm input only � man�

Our long ser�ing members of staff are time ser�ed and highly s�illed

Our full time staff are employed from the local community

We will be processing wheat, barley & oilseed rape this Autumn with:

Signal - wheat bulb fly control applied with/in addition to other seed treatments

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Trace Elements - Winter Crop, manganese, phosphite