Lovely Winter Fair despite the weather!

Monday and Tuesday this week saw the return of the Royal Welsh Winter Fair held at  Llanelwedd, Radnorshire, just down the road.

Despite the blustery downfalls and flooding, we had a lovely time catching up with past clients, friends and people we do business with on a daily basis through the farm and our contracting work..

The standard of livestock was once again outstanding, show casing the very best that our industry has to offer.

You cant beat a visit to the food hall and farmers markets sections, our favourites include the sausage and mash stand, Ralphs Cider (just down the A44 in New Radnor, Radnor Preserves (also New Radnor) and Radnor Hills Mineral water and lovely flavoured soft drinks. Local produce - the only things better are your own!

Can you tell we are proud to be born and bred in Radnorshire!

26th November 2015 - P Day for pesticides

Well the day will finally arrive tomorrow- UK Plant Protection Products (Sustainable Use) Regulations 2012 , will hit us all in a practical way, but there is need to panic, on a sensible level, will we be spraying before spring - possible not. There is plenty of time to get ready, whether that be engaging a suitable qualified contractor to undertake your spraying operations for you, getting ' the boy/ girl' to do the spraying or whether you want to. Please just make sure that you know the legislation and you pick the right option for you, there are an awful lot of misconceptions out there.  Below is what the actual legislation states...

SUD: what do I have to do?

Check first if you are using professional pesticides.

If you are using any pesticides or plant protection products such as weedkillers/

herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, slug pellets / molluscicides, plant growth regulators,

grain store or grain insecticides or soil sterilants.

You need to take three steps

1Demonstrate IPM practices are being followed from 2014

This can be done by completing an IPM plan. Links to a range of plans can be

found at www.voluntaryinitiative.org.uk. Completing a plan will help you make the

most of IPM and shows you are considering different ways of controlling weeds,

pests and diseases. The plan may also be useful evidence for farm assurance

schemes and cross compliance inspections.

2Ensure operators hold a Recognised Certificate from 26 Nov 2015

Existing certificates e.g. PA1+PA2 meet the requirements of the Directive. A new

Grandfather certificate will be available from City & Guilds from 26th Nov 2013 or you could undertake existing Lantra or other  Pesticides Application courses, which may give you more information.

Professional pesticide products must not beused after 26th Nov 2015 unless the operator who is applying that product is certificated.

3Have application equipment tested by NSTS before 26 Nov 2016

Find an approved National Sprayer Testing Scheme examiner at www.nsts.org.uk.

Subsequent testing will be required every five years from 26th Nov 2016; and

every 3 years from 26th November 2020. Granule applicators and boom sprayers

less than 3m wide need to be tested every 6 years, while handheld equipment

should be regularly checked against a checklist and a record kept.

Are there any other options?

You have other options

Use a contractor or neighbouring farmer who holds an appropriate Recognised

Certificate and has a tested sprayer. (It is your responsibility to check this). Your

BASIS Registered Crop Protection adviser may be able to help with your IPM plan.

Some information taken from the  ' Voluntary Initiative'

Western Hemlock

New contract alert... JHS will be undertaking Western Hemlock removal in the Dyfi area this winter. The schedule of work requires cutting down of this persistent species in upland areas. Here is some information about the species...

A shade tolerant species best suited to moister climates in Britain with >1000 mm rainfall. It has rapid growth and high volume production on suitable sites and regenerates freely in a wide range of upland forests. It is cold hardy throughout Britain, but is very sensitive to late frosts, does not tolerate exposure and is drought sensitive. As a consequence trees are often of poor form (e.g. multi-stemmed). These factors mean that it should not be used for afforestation of open ground, but it can be planted under light shade. Although it suffers from heather competition, it will grow on soils of very poor to medium nutrient status and of slightly dry to moist soil moisture. Not suited to peats or very dry soils. Best growth will be found on acid brown earths on lower valley sides in upland forests.

Cant wait to get started!

Highway work

Over the past two years JHS Ltd has been working back on the Highways England's Area 9 Network, the works have included tree work, verge mowing, strimmer/ brushcutting, fence to fence schemes, step reconstruction,  as well as amenity grass cutting. Area 9 is where JHS first branched out into contracting away from agriculture, by verge mowing on the A49 in 2004. This area has given us a wealth of experience in this area, not only safety at the  roadside, contract management, careful use of resources and budgeting. These works also gave us the confidence to branch out and approach others organisations who may benefit from our services - Area 9 - you have a lot to answer for!