REPORT: Tracks or wheels? For one Buckinghamshire farm, both may turn out to be the answer. Purchasing a John Deere 8RX410 last season has brought unexpected benefits, but its wheeled ‘brother’ also has a place in a fleet which is being transformed to suit the demands of an evolving enterprise.
The Sawbridges have been farming in Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire since the 1730s, but it’s safe to say that it is now a very modern agricultural business. As Milton Keynes continues to expand, William Sawbridge farms 1,575ha of arable and grass on owned land, FBT and contract farming agreements at Lodge Farm, Castlethorpe – just six miles from the town centre.
Meanwhile brother Philip Sawbridge has moved away from farming to run a business park alongside it. The future of Milton Keynes is development and it is getting ever closer, so we may look for other land to crop and move away from this site in the long term, but we will always farm,” William says.
But it in order to do that farming efficiently, J A J Sawbridge and Sons has been fettling its machinery fleet over the years.. “It’s significant even down to getting and retaining good staff, which is key to the business,” comments William. “Father always had Fords, but after a season contract combining in the USA in my youth, I was convinced we should switch to John Deere.” Starting with a 4450 pulling a five-furrow Dowdeswell plough, the green fleet began to take over by 1985. More recently, after taking on combining at another farm meant that more harvesting capacity was needed, a pair of second hand Deere combines were added, replacing a Claas Lexion. A 4040i selfpropelled sprayer makes the ‘set’ complete.
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