Using AB15 field as carpark for a weekend? Yes or No?

[B'o'B]

I've been approached with a proposition to use one of our fields for a car park over the last weekend of September for a show promoting local businesses as pandemic recovery boost.
I'm not too keen on using the field they are asking for as I'm hoping to DD a 3rd wheat into it and can't see that being a goer after having a load of cars drive all over it!
Another option could potentially be a field next door that went into AB15 last autumn, what is the TFF collective wisdom on offering this as a potential alternative?

 

[Phil P]

Doesn’t say you can’t park on it

Prohibited activities
To achieve the aims and deliver the environmental benefits, do not carry out any of the following activities.

• Graze or conserve forage

On your annual claim you will be asked to declare that you have not carried out any prohibited activities.

 

[steveR]

How much do you value your AB15 payment...? Sounds an iffy proposition if you got a visitor from the RPA!

I would have though a chunky payment on the stubble would/could pay better than a 3rd wheat?

 

[B'o'B]

How much do you value your AB15 payment...? Sounds an iffy proposition if you got a visitor from the RPA!

I would have though a chunky payment on the stubble would/could pay better than a 3rd wheat?

Yes I had thought of that, but the payment would need to be a bit more “chunky” than it might at first seem. The crop in question would be a seed crop with a good premium on full tonnage contract and that field is the only field I have with suitable back cropping for that variety.
I’ll have to have a meeting with the organizers to discuss details and then have a chat with the seed people see how likely it is they will want a repeat crop.
Everything is possible just need suitable funding!

 

[yellow belly]

Plant spring barley instead of 3rd wheat
if it is dry then revert to plan wheat

if it was a wet heavy land field a car park at that time of year would be a nogoer
but as it is probably shallow stone land there is a good chance it will not show

 

[Formatted]

I used to do a lot of work for festivals, I really don't recommend letting anyone park on anything other than grass. Sod's law it will be the one day in the year that the sun doesn't shine and you'll have a mud bath.

The estate we're tenants on have 2 festivals on 280 acres of grassland that is in GS2 and they seem to get away from it. I find it absolutely insane that they can.

 

[Hindsight]

I've been approached with a proposition to use one of our fields for a car park over the last weekend of September for a show promoting local businesses as pandemic recovery boost.
I'm not too keen on using the field they are asking for as I'm hoping to DD a 3rd wheat into it and can't see that being a goer after having a load of cars drive all over it!
Another option could potentially be a field next door that went into AB15 last autumn, what is the TFF collective wisdom on offering this as a potential alternative?

Doesn’t say you can’t park on it

Prohibited activities
To achieve the aims and deliver the environmental benefits, do not carry out any of the following activities.

• Graze or conserve forage

On your annual claim you will be asked to declare that you have not carried out any prohibited activities.

Phil P - May not say you cannot park on it, but sure doesn't say you can! And I doubt parking was high on the list of items for a short guidance note when the Natural England staff officer wrote up the guidance, with a clear instruction to keep the guidance notes brief and less than 500 words as consultation and survey data with farmers had complained of long guidance notes!

The actual answer B'o' B is to write via email to the RPA or Natural England to ask. Anything else is just internet gossip. Unless someone can post an email from RPA/NE.

Do let us know though.

 

[DRC]

Yes I had thought of that, but the payment would need to be a bit more “chunky” than it might at first seem. The crop in question would be a seed crop with a good premium on full tonnage contract and that field is the only field I have with suitable back cropping for that variety.
I’ll have to have a meeting with the organizers to discuss details and then have a chat with the seed people see how likely it is they will want a repeat crop.
Everything is possible just need suitable funding!

The fact that seed crops can be grown as a third wheat has surprised me. I always thought seed crops followed a break or even two breaks..

 

[Phil P]

Phil P - May not say you cannot park on it, but sure doesn't say you can! And I doubt parking was high on the list of items for a short guidance note when the Natural England staff officer wrote up the guidance, with a clear instruction to keep the guidance notes brief and less than 500 words as consultation and survey data with farmers had complained of long guidance notes!

The actual answer B'o' B is to write via email to the RPA or Natural England to ask. Anything else is just internet gossip. Unless someone can post an email from RPA/NE.

Do let us know though.

I never said JFDI though , as you say I’d be contacting NE and asking, and if they said it’s ok, I’d want it in writing!

 

[Hindsight]

I never said JFDI though , as you say I’d be contacting NE and asking, and if they said it’s ok, I’d want it in writing!

Hi, yes I did spot that you were careful in what you said and used a 'thinking' emoji. Is there a 'jfdi' emoji??

 

[Phil P]

Hi, yes I did spot that you were careful in what you said and used a 'thinking' emoji. Is there a 'jfdi' emoji??

Don’t think there is but there definitely should be, or could go something like -

 

[B'o'B]

The fact that seed crops can be grown as a third wheat has surprised me. I always thought seed crops followed a break or even two breaks..

2nd or 3rd seed wheat can only follow a certified crop of the same variety, it would also need to have been a seed crop if producing higher grades.

The crop has to pass the field inspection for off-types. I have to say that this company does keep their seed stocks very clean and will often put a gang of rougeres through walking shoulder to shoulder pulling off types out even though the crop would pass inspection without it, because it saves them work in the long run.

Double break is to change from one variety to another.

I guess in part it is also a trust thing, I specialize in seed crops and we have worked together for a long time and I know what they expect from me and they trust me to deliver on that.

 

[B'o'B]

I will send them an email, I wonder how long it will take to get a response?

 

[steveR]

I will send them an email, I wonder how long it will take to get a response?

3-4 weeks if it is a difficult one, less for a simple query..

 

[DRC]

2nd or 3rd seed wheat can only follow a certified crop of the same variety, it would also need to have been a seed crop if producing higher grades.

The crop has to pass the field inspection for off-types. I have to say that this company does keep their seed stocks very clean and will often put a gang of rougeres through walking shoulder to shoulder pulling off types out even though the crop would pass inspection without it, because it saves them work in the long run.

Double break is to change from one variety to another.

I guess in part it is also a trust thing, I specialize in seed crops and we have worked together for a long time and I know what they expect from me and they trust me to deliver on that.

Interesting . Just never occurred to me

 

[Hindsight]

I will send them an email, I wonder how long it will take to get a response?

Probably quite quickly. A colleague has emailed recently regarding a couple of client queries - reply was within a day or so. Until you email you will not know.

 

[Jo28]

2nd or 3rd seed wheat can only follow a certified crop of the same variety, it would also need to have been a seed crop if producing higher grades.

The crop has to pass the field inspection for off-types. I have to say that this company does keep their seed stocks very clean and will often put a gang of rougeres through walking shoulder to shoulder pulling off types out even though the crop would pass inspection without it, because it saves them work in the long run.

Double break is to change from one variety to another.

I guess in part it is also a trust thing, I specialize in seed crops and we have worked together for a long time and I know what they expect from me and they trust me to deliver on that.

They rougue your fields?

 

[steveR]

They rougue your fields?

It brings some colur to his cheeks...

 

[B'o'B]

They rougue your fields?

Yes for off-types. I rougue for grass weeds, wild-oats, etc before they come.

 

[JCfarmer]

Phil P - May not say you cannot park on it, but sure doesn't say you can! And I doubt parking was high on the list of items for a short guidance note when the Natural England staff officer wrote up the guidance, with a clear instruction to keep the guidance notes brief and less than 500 words as consultation and survey data with farmers had complained of long guidance notes!

The actual answer B'o' B is to write via email to the RPA or Natural England to ask. Anything else is just internet gossip. Unless someone can post an email from RPA/NE.

Do let us know though.

Who the hell in their right mind would get in touch with the RPA or NE and ask!???
You'll be flagging up an inspection for sure!