Christmas dinner

Last night it was the PX Christmas Dinner at the Chinese restaurant. Wonderful evening.

Keep to the roads

The result of Student labour used for harvesting.


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Silo bags

Storing harvest in the field. 250 tonnes per bag. 75 metres by 5 metres.





Warning do not exceed the stretch of the bag or it will rip to the end. Measure the plastic expanding strip.



The tractor is left in neutral and brakes are applied on the machine to give resistance so the grain fills the bag and pushes the tractor forward. The grain is loaded into the hopper via chaser bin.

Home made tractor

If you don't wanted to continue buying tractors from leading manufactures then build your own. This tractor has a Bedford tk cab.


On the way to Hyden to see one of David's farms about 4.5 hours from his base and 11 hours by tractor we called into see Will Hull from england who's family farm in Essex Malden. One of the smartest farm yards I've seen here. He showed me a simple but effective seed cleaning plant.


One of the few farms which have grainstores in large sheds and silos. To fill the sheds they use an 84 ft auger, they remove a roof sheet to surcharge the grain. Its the simple approach to solving problems i enjoy in Australia. The workshop building was super and has driven me to improve ours.

Claas 13.5 mt

David Cox at water hatch farms in Esperance has a new Claas combine fitted with a 13.5mt vario. Fantastic

Measures 13.46 mt inside cutting width.

WA busselton

I've arrived in western Australia. Ed cox is busy getting the silage in for the 1000 cows. He has just taken on an additional 3000 acres on an FBT. I pray for this to happen in the UK.





The white v6 ford falcon sports hatch is my hire car.





The artic lorries are used for silage cart.




An English man Tim who used to work on a neighbours farm in england is the main machinery man for Ed, it's a small world.
Claas machinery is making a mark in Oz. This one has had a new engine as the last one dropped a value, it cost 15000 dollars to fly from Brisbane to Perth and get to Busselton.

PX at the docks

A proud moment for me as all 8 lorries in convoy tip at the port.

Village magazine

November edition of the dry drayton village magazine.


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Filming at PX

This is the way not to do an interview. Anglia tv have sent this to me of the highlights of the past year interview looking at seasons, look at the weight lose.

End of the Nuffield conference

The Nuffield conference is over. Two days of everyone presenting. Congratulations to all scholars.


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Harvest Festival

2011 celebration for the end of harvest festival. We had a hog and beef roast and puddings. When you get everyone who is involved with PX it soon becomes a small army. The weather was a saving grace with the sun shining and no wind. It was wonderful to be able to host everyone at the farmhouse. What a wonderful day, i very much enjoyed the afternoon. Well done to Ailis for organising the day.

Demo unimog

John from the local Mercedes Unimog dealer bought a demo 400 around to show us.


Our plan of attack is convert into our new fuel bowser and spray mixer tank. With capability to travel at 56 mph, tow a trailed cultivator to the challengers.

Digging for a new grainstore store

Work has started. We are digging for a new grainstore alone side aberdeen store.


Rick is working hard digging the soil and driving the lorry as the dump truck. The new store will be completed by end of May. It is part of the plan to segregate different grains as premiums are establishing.

Subsoiler demo

Tim Howard bought a subsoiler for demonstration. It was at 20" deep and the subsoiler with a 6" wings and narrower leg than our current. An intended 11 leg machine trailed is proposed.


We currently have a 9 leg hydraulic folding fully mounted.

The disadvantage is the only machines to carry the subsoiler between farms is a cat challenger which causes unnecessary wear and tear on the tracks.


This subsoiler doesn't roar the land up causing as much soil disturbance and upsetting structure. I believe this machine with the correct legs could be used after drilling to remove headland compaction.

The drawbar will be fitted with a liquid fertiliser tank and nozzles fitted to each leg.

The Vaderstad bio drill will be fitted to the rear for applying the oil seed rape with radar.

This machine will work well when subsoiling is required and drilling oil seed rape at the same time. Land will take time to come around to controlled traffic and the subsoiler will be a key machine to wipe the slate clean. When going onto new farms this will be a key machine to start the process and will able to be used on all crops reducing cost and speeding up the process.

Operation wise is seems easier to use due to pin location for depth not threaded links. The legs come complete with points and wings. So only changing one part. This alone should speed up the wearing parts down time. Shear bolts are changeable by pin and R clip.

We will use a tractor to move the machine between farms for the cat challengers, improving efficiency and cost.

2011 drilling has finished

Ye ha, it's all over, we have finished drilling. I'm really pleased, the heavens can open.


The boys are off for a well earned rest. Julian is off next week to Australia and Chris G to New Zealand. Chris B has gone on a four day sleep.

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Painting the farm

Andy is busy getting the farm painted. Going for a fresh new look. Andy told me 'he used to love painting'. He's never seen some much to paint.


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Keep the troops going

Using the converted RAF fuel truck to deliver fuel to the Challenger in minutes.


Drilling an average of 205 acres a day.

Straw all stacked for winter

This years straw for the power station is all stacked away ready for the winter. The lights in Cambridgeshire will burn bright with the help of PX.


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High winds in usa

Tim Richter a farmer i visited in the USA sent this picture of his son stood in his maize crop after the high winds. He reports the yield is still high if he can pick it off the floor.

The picture demonstrates the joys of farming. When you think you've got everything right the weather throws you a curve ball.

I imagine my self stood in the field and the first thought that comes to mind after thank goodness i'm not the combine driver is a saying we learnt in the USA at the Nuffield contemporay scholars conference, Adopt, Innovate and Overcome.!

New branding unleashed

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Location:Scotland farm

Loading efficiency on a local farm.

We were sent this photo by Wellgrain. How to load a lorry in 7 mins.

Location:Somewhere in Bedfordshire

Ploughing for potatoes

Ploughing is a medieval action which we are custom ploughing for potatoes at 12-13" deep. Using a demonstrator plough from Ben Burgess.

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CLA business magazine

Secondary cultivations

Getting ready for drilling the wheat in a week.
Oil seed rape is all in and starting to come through.
Julian is busy pressing the land to level and consolidate to encourage blackgrass to grow on one of the challengers.


Rexius Vaderstad twin press

Sad day as my favourite machine leaves

The founder member of the PX Farms museum leaves for a new life. Im going to keep tabs of its history so i can buy back in 20 years to put in the museum.

A comedian in every company

Jim Mcgarry drives J7 PXF


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Cultivation and osr drilling

Chris and Chris using two 550 hp cat challengers.


Drilling osr with two 8 metre drills, one Vaderstad the other a Horsch. 85-100 ha each a day. The one on the right is the new member to the fleet. New 12 metre Horsch drill for next year has been ordered.

Automatic grain dryer

First in the world, automatic grain dryer. working with Z tech we have invented a automatic grain dryer. Retro fitted to any grain dryer with electric speed discharge. Set the out moisture to wheat at 15% mc and the dryer measures the moisture in and calculates the speeds and measures the moisture out. works on all crops. Technology uses microwave probes to measure the moisture. This will save labour and lost moisture. Estimated at savings of £40000 a year here along.

Solar panels makes the Press.