Quotes for grass cut and collect per hectare

[Land Trust]

Hi,
The Land Trust are looking to improve some of the grassland within our community woodlands / country parks in Yorkshire. We're looking to introduce 'cut and collect' on sites previously just mown, and would like some ball-park figures for cost per Ha. Please include removal of arisings from site. (Sites open to the public, so assume some dog muck included in hay!)
Thanks,
Simon Pedley

 

[puppet]

I will need double popcorn waiting for the farming replies to this one

 

[serf]

Dog muck and hay ,
sounds a lovely combo to feed to sheep N cattle , what's not to like .....

 

[Highland Mule]

Hello Simon,

As a presumably responsible landowner/ trust, you would do well to ensure that any bales produced are quarantined to not enter any animal food chain. I would suggest that any contract includes this as a minimum, although it may be more robust to arrange sale to power plant directly to avoid any risk.

Please don’t call the output “hay” either, as this would be disingenuous when it is nothing more than a toxic waste product.

 

[Highland Mule]

Didn’t take on board the feedback from last time, it seems.

Free Hay Crop near Chester

The Land Trust manages 6.7Ha of meadow at The Countess of Chester Country Park, CH2 1UL, which yields about 120 round bales. Due to our current agreement coming to an end, we are looking for a local Farmer to cut and collect this year's hay crop. As the site is open to dog walkers, the hay...

thefarmingforum.co.uk

Folk like Simon from @Land Trust shouldn’t be allowed to look after public land like this.

 

[Goweresque]

Didn’t take on board the feedback from last time, it seems.

Oh, I don't know, last time they were offering the 'crop' for free, this time they look like they are expecting to have to pay to have it cut, baled and removed. Thats got to be an improvement.

I'd be wondering if what is being removed constitutes a crop, or could more accurately described as waste. If the latter getting rid of it is considerably more expensive (and complicated paperwork-wise) than a crop of useable forage.

 

[onesiedale]

Hi,
The Land Trust are looking to improve some of the grassland within our community woodlands / country parks in Yorkshire. We're looking to introduce 'cut and collect' on sites previously just mown, and would like some ball-park figures for cost per Ha. Please include removal of arisings from site. (Sites open to the public, so assume some dog muck included in hay!)
Thanks,
Simon Pedley

why do you want it removing?
why was the previous 'just mown' contract not working?

 

[Mc115reed]

I’ll start the bidding at £1000/ha for full service and disposal

 

[Highland Mule]

Oh, I don't know, last time they were offering the 'crop' for free, this time they look like they are expecting to have to pay to have it cut, baled and removed. Thats got to be an improvement.

I'd be wondering if what is being removed constitutes a crop, or could more accurately described as waste. If the latter getting rid of it is considerably more expensive (and complicated paperwork-wise) than a crop of useable forage.

Good point. Would possibly need a waste transfer licence. Perhaps could be classed as power station fuel to avoid the issue.

 

[ollie989898]

That stuff needs to be sent to landfill in my view. The composters won't want anything to do with material containing dog muck, either and rightly so. EA would have their licence out of their hands the next day.

EDIT: who the heck are the Land Trust anyway?

 

[Tamar]

Presume 7 Ha

To mow, turn,bale, cart away and hopefully sell it to Drax to burn for fuel will probably cost you £1000

If it goes to landfill as no intelligent farmer will want to feed dog poo to livestock, then the cost will be at least 3 times that.

 

[Werzle]

Hi,
The Land Trust are looking to improve some of the grassland within our community woodlands / country parks in Yorkshire. We're looking to introduce 'cut and collect' on sites previously just mown, and would like some ball-park figures for cost per Ha. Please include removal of arisings from site. (Sites open to the public, so assume some dog muck included in hay!)
Thanks,
Simon Pedley

You need to find an AD plant willing to take it for nothing and then direct cut it imo. If you can find one local it shouldnt cost much more than normal silaging.

 

[puppet]

Why do they want it removed? Just keep some paths open with a topper and let the rest die off each year

 

[Jackov Altraids]

That stuff needs to be sent to landfill in my view. The composters won't want anything to do with material containing dog muck, either and rightly so. EA would have their licence out of their hands the next day.

EDIT: who the heck are the Land Trust anyway?

Land Trust is an arable farmer.
Apparently

 

[Spencer]

Why do they want it removed? Just keep some paths open with a topper and let the rest die off each year

Because they want to bug ger the land so it’s poverty stricken and only weeds/orchids grow. Sorry I meant regenerate it

 

[puppet]

I have been asked to cut an overgrown area of just 1500m2 and push it into heaps. Probably around 3 big bales in quantity. Idea is to deplete the soil to grow wildflowers but it has had 50 years to build fertility. How many crops of grass do you need to deplete soil fertility?

 

[Tamar]

How many crops of grass do you need to deplete soil fertility?

A long time on some soils..............I mow my lawn regularly and remove the grass, yet it still grows as quick as the rest of the farm !!

 

[Hampton]

I have been asked to cut an overgrown area of just 1500m2 and push it into heaps. Probably around 3 big bales in quantity. Idea is to deplete the soil to grow wildflowers but it has had 50 years to build fertility. How many crops of grass do you need to deplete soil fertility?

It will never make any difference

 

[Spencer]

I’d say it depends on the soil type. On thin soils over rock not too many years of taking everything off and putting nothing back would have quite an effect. Timing of off take is also a factor, once the crop has senesced a lot of the nutrients have already returned to the soil.

 

[puppet]

I agree that it is a waste of time. It is beside a river and I expect there is several feet of subsoil. But those that got some grant money want it done