Ep7 In The Cab With Joe Skipper

Tim Cotterill is a very busy man. So much so that rather than the cab of his Bateman we almost required a Flux Capacitor to catch up with him.  Alongside his day job as product specialist for a well-known machinery manufacturer, Tim is responsible for spraying duties on his family’s North Warwickshire arable farm. The business predominantly grow potatoes plus winter feed wheat, oilseed rape and peas on rotation.  Balancing full-time employment with spraying duties provides its own set of challenges, especially when weather windows are fleeting. It is during these times that Tim leans into the sage advice given to him by his grandfather of ‘always staying in control’.  Ask Tim where he would go spraying if presented with a final day in the cab, he would choose a block of land called ‘Cocked Hat’. Things become tricky though when choosing who would join him, which basically means his entire family, taking us nicely back to that advice and staying in control.  So, what’s the soundtrack to Tim’s life? His choice is driven partly by the timing of our chat (England were yet to be knocked out of the World Cup by Argentina) and memories of being ferried home from school in his dad’s Land Cruiser listening to: ‘Little Miss Pipedream’ by the Wombats. By the looks of it, Tim Cotterill is already living the dream.  

In this episode of Spraying Alive we join Joe Skipper of W J Skipper. In addition to working in the haulage side of the business, Joe is lead sprayer operator for the family’s farm in Staffordshire.  You might say that Joe was destined to work in the family business. After setting up the haulage enterprise, it was Joe’s grandfather who decided farming would be a good idea. Back then it was cattle, nowadays the farm is focussed solely on arable.  Joe would say his greatest challenge is keeping on top of jobs. The pressures of hauling aggregates to batching plants alongside maintaining a healthy arable business affords very little time off. However, you won’t find Joe complaining.  Ask Joe what piece of advice he’s been given that has remained and his answer will be clear. If you’re going to do a job then do it properly, it costs just as much to do a bad job as a good one.  If Joe were given one final day to go spraying he would choose his largest field, which is literally over the road from the farm. But who would join him? The answer is nobody, Joe would opt for solitude. Which just goes to prove, when you’re driving a Bateman what more could you ask for…

We join Morgan Senior of M J Senior Agri Contractors for a chat in the cab. Morgan contract sprays for a number of businesses across Somerset and into neighbouring Dorset.  Born into a dairy farming family, when the time came for a career decision, as much as likes cows, Morgan preferred to do his own thing. Following a stint in New Zealand, he returned to Somerset and set up as a contractor.  For Morgan, spraying isn’t so much a job as a hobby. There’s something about being snowed under with work, the buzz that comes from ticking off the acres. A spraying week goes by and you’ve caught up and then come Monday the agronomists have been in touch and it’s time to go again.  Find a niche, stick to it and stay upbeat, would be Morgan’s advice to anyone thinking of starting a career in agriculture. You will face multiple challenges, but you’ve got to keep the positive vibes.  If Morgan had only one day left to go spraying, he would swap the fields of Somerset for the vast fields his friend sprays in Scotland. Who would join him in the buddy seat is a close call between his wife and mate Barney. His wife wins, just!

Sean Postlethwaite of Ryton Fields Farm joins us for this episode. Situated in Ryton on Dunsmore on the outskirts of Coventry, Sean runs the family business which grows predominantly potatoes along with milling wheat, winter oilseed rape and maize. Although Sean grew up on a farm - his parents moved to Ryton Fields Farm in 2000, he wasn’t sure that he’d follow in their footsteps. A career as a chef at one point seemed more appealing, that was until, whilst at college, a work experience opportunity at a local farm and farm shop put Sean firmly on the farming track. We hear Sean’s thoughts on the importance of diversification in farming and how the farming community is like no other sector when it comes to sharing knowledge. Sean also talks about the support the family received from the farming community and beyond, when disaster struck the farm in 2015. What advice would Sean give to anyone thinking of getting into farming? Without question an optimistic disposition is essential before a single seed has been drilled. Things can change very quickly, a year in farming is never quite predictable. Away from farming family comes first, but Sean also finds time to follow a few sports, in particular football, rugby union and formula one. His sporting heroes are David Beckham and Lewis Hamilton. Asked what the soundtrack to his life would be, Sean borrows a song from Oasis, which is all about having a plan and then needing to adapt it. Which, just perhaps, may sound very familiar. 

We share the cab with Peter Wilkinson of Lodge Farm Contracting. Situated in Hertfordshire, Peter farms 800 acres of arable crops and contract sprays for a number of farms within a 30 mile radius.  Peter’s story in farming began with a phone call. The consequence of dropping out of university was enough to convince Peter to flee the country. His Mother’s displeasure could wait. Whilst making his way around New Zealand, an offer out of the blue to work on his Grandfather’s farm was enough to bring Peter home. Making the most of this opportunity, Peter threw himself into farming life. Many years later the business would be passed down to him. Being in the right place at the right time also enabled Peter to branch out into the world of contract spraying. For Peter variety is the spice of life, the split between duties on his farm and contracting suits him down to the ground.  If you ask Peter about the state of farming right now, he will tell you that things can only get better. Maintain a positive outlook, keep doing what you’re doing, the only way must be onwards and upwards.  Away from farming Peter enjoys watching Saracens, his local rugby team. Over the last couple of years Peter has swapped his boots for a pair of trainers and runs during the winter months to maintain his fitness. However, one of his most rewarding exercise regimes is a brisk walk with his dog to a country pub, followed by a good pint and decent meal. Bravo!

We sit next to Wayne Rose, lead sprayer operator at Guiting Manor Farms. Situated in the Cotswolds, the business grows milling wheat, winter and spring barley for malting along with break crops of oilseed rape and hemp for fibre. Stubble turnips are also grown to feed sheep over the winter.  Wayne tells us how as a child he would join his grandfather every weekend, on the farm he managed in the Cotswold village of Mickleton. Fast forward to the time when career decisions needed to be made, without question it was farming for Wayne.  If you ask Wayne what the best advice is he’s ever been given, he’ll tell you he didn’t believe it at the time. Experience has proved Wayne’s grandfather to be right, that you work to live and not live to work.  We hear about Guiting Manor’s award-winning conservation work. Wayne describes the numbers of species that have since thrived as a result of the habitat management introduced by the estate.  Sport has always played a key role in Wayne’s life. A lifelong Wolverhampton Wanders fan, Wayne’s passion for team sports led him to play for local football and cricket teams. He now plays golf.  When it comes to bizarre sights and experiences from within the cab, amongst other things, Wayne recounts the time a glider crash landed in the field right next to him. An event that’s happened not once, but twice!

In this episode we talk to Sam Bagshaw of S C Bagshaw Agricultural Contracting. Based on the Cotswolds / Warwickshire border, Sam splits his time between contract spraying and duties on the family’s mixed farm.  Ever since Sam can remember, he has lived and breathed farming. He talks about growing up on the family farm, joining Young Farmers and his first job as sprayer operator on a Warwickshire farm. Sam also talks about his time in New Zealand working for a contracting business.   Sam discusses his decision to set up a contract spraying business. How, as a young operator looking for work, he did his homework before throwing his hat into the ring and having a go. As Sam says, you can do everything right, but you still need that little bit of luck now and again.  As far as Sam is concerned, farming is not a career, it’s more a way of life. It’s important to strike the right balance of time in and out of farming, something Sam reflects on now that he has become a father for the first time.  Apart from spending time with his family, Sam tells us about his rugby playing days and watching Northampton Saints. He also likes to shoot clays and game. During the season Sam helps as a loader on shoots at a local estate. We hear about the man who after spending a day shooting, hopped on a plane to see his rather famous girlfriend, before returning for the next days shoot.

In this episode we talk to David Jones of JH & MM Jones. Based near Stratford Upon Avon in Warwickshire, David’s family have farmed in the county over several generations. Today, the business is spread across 1100 hectares, growing predominantly group 1 milling wheat and peas, as well as barley and spring beans.  We hear David’s early recollections of working alongside his father in the family’s land drainage business. Surrounded by a gang of no-nonsense practical jokers, David learned the ropes the old-fashioned way: by getting stuck in.   For David, it starts with the soil. If the ground’s not right, nothing else will be. Getting the basics right can be traced back to David’s early career. David explains how his experience in land drainage, followed by working for a forward thinking farmer helped his understanding of the land. This was to prove vital when the family came calling with an offer David couldn’t refuse.  Engineering has always been an equal passion for David. He talks about honing his technical skills at an agricultural engineering college, where he learned the hands-on expertise required to develop machinery tailored to the specific needs of modern farming.  Beyond the world of agriculture, David’s enthusiasm for engineering spills over into his impressive success in tractor-pulling, a sport that combines mechanical knowledge with raw power. His ability to fine-tune engines and push machines to their limits is testament to the deep understanding and dedication he brings to everything he does.