Plastic free farming - somebody needs to do something.

bovrill

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
East Essexshire
@Selectamatic does your importer contact sell sisal with a big enough diameter / strength to suit big square balers?
Baling hemp used to require sisal twine, so it definitely exists for big square balers. It was a bit more expensive than plastic.
The early days of hemp ('92 I think it was first licensed, and I baled a lot) it had to be in round bales, and there was no binder twine to be found anywhere, so we had to use conventional twine instead, which worked out expensive.
 

Selectamatic

Member
Location
North Wales
It's annoying when you have filled a bag with logs and the damn thing rips and you have to pick up all the logs again :mad:
I met @Selectamatic when he came here and had a pile of used bags off me not that long ago. Seems a waste to dispose of them after one use so I had almost all of the ones we have ever bought hidden in an old hayloft.

Yes, and very greatful I was for them too! With luck, and if your willing, I'll need a few more next year! :)
 

Selectamatic

Member
Location
North Wales
Baling hemp used to require sisal twine, so it definitely exists for big square balers. It was a bit more expensive than plastic.
The early days of hemp ('92 I think it was first licensed, and I baled a lot) it had to be in round bales, and there was no binder twine to be found anywhere, so we had to use conventional twine instead, which worked out expensive.

Thats interesting. I wonder if a standard Big Baler knotter would work with it, I cant see why "knot" though...

:ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Baling hemp used to require sisal twine, so it definitely exists for big square balers. It was a bit more expensive than plastic.
The early days of hemp ('92 I think it was first licensed, and I baled a lot) it had to be in round bales, and there was no binder twine to be found anywhere, so we had to use conventional twine instead, which worked out expensive.
Must still be able to get binder twine for binders, I wouldn't think they would like plastic and nor would the reedcomber if it found its way in
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
As mentioned before I dont use either consumable string or plastic for hay or silage. What I have been doing for a number of years now is reusing IBC containers for storing hay and silage. Only plastic used is plastic tape seal around the IBC container to make it air tight for silage but I normally make hay which does not need the tape.
 

hendrebc

Member
Livestock Farmer
As mentioned before I dont use either consumable string or plastic for hay or silage. What I have been doing for a number of years now is reusing IBC containers for storing hay and silage. Only plastic used is plastic tape seal around the IBC container to make it air tight for silage but I normally make hay which does not need the tape.
Tell us more please. How do you get it in? How much does an ibc hold? How much are you doing like that per year?
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
Tell us more please. How do you get it in? How much does an ibc hold? How much are you doing like that per year?

IBC containers are normal plastic bottles with tops cut off in the metal frames. Hay made in normal way with drum mower and hayzip then rowed up with hayzip. Hay collected with modified Russel flail. (rather than pull a trailer behind the IBC sits on a platform on the back of the flail and filled directly). Once full a hydraulic ram and squasher plate compacts it and top up again after compacting twice and topping up its a pretty compact cubic mtr of hay drop off at edge of field and collect another container and repeat. If it looks like rain than throw the IBC lid on straight away otherwise leave to the end of the day and put all lids on at the same time. Once lids are on the IBC's can be collected at leisure as there weather and rodent proof. When we come to use just take the lid off and rotate through 90 degrees with pallet rotator and the animals self feed. Only difference with silage is the lid is sealed with polytunnel mending tape.
Only have 10 acres but would be really easy to scale up. Far quicker then messing about with small bales and no lifting for my old back. Also very easy to stack 4 IBC's high with forklift.
 

renewablejohn

Member
Location
lancs
I originally experimented using my mountainpress small round baler without net and then dumping the bale in the container. Although it kept the bale well it did waste a lot of space in the container. Would probably work far better with a more coventional size round baler. The advantage for me with the flail is the fine chop which makes it easier self feeding.
 

tepapa

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North Wales
I originally experimented using my mountainpress small round baler without net and then dumping the bale in the container. Although it kept the bale well it did waste a lot of space in the container. Would probably work far better with a more coventional size round baler. The advantage for me with the flail is the fine chop which makes it easier self feeding.
How are you getting any excess air out of the container?
 

egbert

Member
Livestock Farmer
OK. A little help.
I'm being asked what diameter cord I want (for round baler)
But surely it'd be tensile strength as much as diameter?
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
old chap down the road from us, not the best of farmer, but brilliant mechanic wise, for a couple of years, he baled his grass quite green, with a wire tye small baler, wrapped the stack in poly sheet, and sucked the air out with pipes, and a vacuum pump in reverse, wasn't bad stuff, he only stopped because he couldn't do it on his own, and any helpers, soon found excuses, after a couple of loads ! I would imagine, with big bales, and machine handling, it might work again, but pit silage has made it redundant, but it would be a replacement for masses of net, and wrap, as long as you didn't have to haul by hand !!! Thinking on though, bales would be intact, easier to cut string, rather than wrap, and net/string.
 
Tin Hat on but the only true way to eliminate plastic silage rap is do away with it.
Iam sure some 25years ago it didn't even exist?
What did folks do before then you wonder?
Just made Hay or Pit Silage i presume
Netwrap be a bugger tho coz there is nowt else suitable
My Major two forms of plastic waste are seed & fert Bags neither is there any other option but too have them & Agchem Containers
the lot all gets recycled tho. apart from the lid caps which i still think there must be something you can do with them ?
Net is the problem, but no need for it if you use square bales. Not tried sisal twine in it though.
 

Farma Parma

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Northumberlandia
No need for net wrap if you use square bales. Not tried sisal twine in it though.
Its made me think why folks just done do half size quadrants for all there silage bales tho?
poss as in a round bale it suits there feeding system maybes?
round balers much much cheaper for the smaller outfits to justfy having there own?
but yeah its quite easy to remove string from all the bigger sq bales when they are straw is it much diff if in silage & wrapped?
 

som farmer

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
somerset
What way does costs compare to stop wrapping bales for horses and using additives on the Haylage instead? Would this work, and would the customers go for the GREEN option?
I think for most horsey folk, despite their saying otherwise, its the cheapest is best.
I have been reading a book, describing silage making after the war. No plastic sheeting, cut the grass, take to pit with sweep (buckrake) spread with molassis, leave to ferment for a day or two, before adding more!!!!! I can remember spreading lime over the top of the pit, but not the sides. Must have been fairly dry, because 1 year, a stolen car was driven into the side, and set on fire, it caught the clamp alight as well.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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