Foxley was set up by Julian Godwin in 2007 after working in both the agricultural and horticultural supply trades for many years. With the aim of offering quality seeds & varieties, competitive prices and great service, the business has grown to be a key supplier of seeds to farmers in the midlands and further afield.
2024 will be remembered as a difficult weather year on our farm. The late wet spring made fertiliser spreading later than we would like, resulting in delayed 1st cut silage. On the plus side, the inclement weather helped the yield of two good silage cuts, and some lovely third cut haylage. Whilst there was plenty of grass to graze, the tender ground soon looked like the Somme with our strip grazing system! We established SAM3 herbal leys after 1st cut in May, by slot seeding in to a sward that had been sprayed off.
This seems to have worked better than the September sowings we had attempted previously. We have also tried to establish legumes and herbs in existing swards, with mixed results to say the least. It would seem the optimum way to establish herbal leys is with a good traditional seed bed achieved though some form of cultivation or ploughing. Persistence of the herbs being used seems to be an issue, the consensus being that two to three years is the limit. Harvest in 2024 was a mixed affair, with variable crops of grain and straw from both spring and winter crops. What can only be described as deluges of rain wet the ground early during Autumn, and made drilling of winter crops difficult, and an early start to the winter housing of the cattle.
Whilst the government’s SFI scheme in England has been good for the seed industry in general, trying to guess likely uptake has been difficult for importers, and production going forward. The increase in demand, and lack of stock in the UK, resulted in delayed deliveries of some mixtures. Considering the complexity of the scheme, and some of the seed mixtures within it, we would like to think we did a reasonable of job of keeping drills running.
With the arable sector somewhat in the doldrums, we foresee another big year for the SFI scheme, where a payment from the government is far more attractive than risking weather and markets in an attempt to grow a profitable crop. As the SFI scheme develops, our seed offer develops accordingly, aiming to give our farmers a compliant mixture that actually performs in the field. Our traditional grass seed business now seems to be more focused on the dairy sector, where high yield and quality forage and still the driving force.
The purchase of Foxley Farm from Julian’s siblings in 2014, has secured the farm and the business for the next generation. Being active mixed farmers running 350 beef cattle means the team at Foxley know the challenges farmers currently face, be that government policy, markets or the weather!
With agriculture now changing to reduce its reliance on the fertiliser bag or the chemical can, the knowledge of the expert “seedsman” is coming to the fore. Julian’s 30 years of experience in and around the seed business, and the fact he is actively farming day to day, means he is well qualified to advise on a range of seed species and mixtures.
If you can’t find the information required, do please call 01299 832538 or 07872 964814 and we will endeavour to be of assistance.
