Chivers Farms Ltd.

Arable Enterprise

The Arable Enterprise comprises of 1360ha of owned, tenanted and contract farmed land.  A further 230ha is contract managed for a local research organisation.  The cropping is based around a combinable rotation with Winter Wheat, Winter Oilseed Rape and Borage being the major crops grown.  A small area of Contract farmed area is certified organic, a separate cultivation strategy and rotation are used here.

Cropping Harvest 2007

Labour

The arable unit employs four full time staff.  A Farm Manager and three Tractor Drivers.  In addition, three Harvest Casuals are employed in the summer months. Contractors are used for some of the operations such as additional combining and some of the spraying and fertilising on the contract managed land. We are currently seeking staff for Harvest 2007. Click here for details.

Machinery

We currently run the conservation tillage establishment method for our conventional land cultivations.  This system is based around a Caterpillar Challenger MT865B (510hp) pulling a Simba Solo Cultivator and packer.  From 2007 this will be followed by an 8m Vaderstad drill.  A Sands SAM4000 self propelled sprayer carries out the pesticide applications.  Harvesting is carried out by a Claas Lexion 580tt, the contractors Claas 480E (also on tracks) assists for part of the season.  The other prime movers on the farm are John Deere, a 6620, 6920, and a JCB Loadall.   Currently a further 2 John Deere 6920’s are hired in for harvest, and a Claas Clallenger 55 hired in to assist with the drilling.