Powys-Shropshire dispersal sale for retiring contractor
A retiring agricultural contractor will hold a dispersal sale as he moves to focus on his family's farming and fabrication businesses.
Pete Jones started his contracting business in 1992, a year after returning home to Glebe Farm on the Powys-Shropshire border to help his late father, David.
The family has farmed at Glebe Farm since the 1930s, focusing on milking and feeding cattle and growing all kinds of arable crops over the years.
Having previously worked away in several engineering roles and spent a year working in Australia, Pete began silaging for a neighbour and he says the business grew almost by accident as his contracting services were sought by farmers in the Bishop's Castle area.
Over the years, 58-year-old Pete invested in quality Claas combine and forage harvesters and tractors from Morris Corfield.
'I have reached the stage where it's time to focus on the other businesses,' Pete said.
'I started the contracting and fabrication businesses because I recognised that there was no chance of making a living off our own land, which is under 100 acres.
'When I put the combine harvester on its plot this week, ready for the sale, I realised it was the end of an era. Combining is a job I really loved.
'Rather than being chased by farmers needing my contracting services, I will now be chased by customers wanting cattle crushes!' he joked.
'I certainly still have enough work to keep me busy.'
Halls auctioneers are organising the sale on behalf of Jones of Lydham at Glebe Farm, Lydham, near Bishop's Castle on Saturday, May 10.
Halls chairman Allen Gittins said the dispersal sale is not to be missed.
'The Jones family's highly successful contracting business began in 1992, and they have built up an extensive range of machinery, including a Claas Lexion 570+TT combine harvester and a Claas Jaguar 860 forager with three metre HD grass header.
'The sale also features tractors, cultivation and grassland equipment, farm implements and machinery which have been well maintained, serviced regularly, stored indoors and washed after use.
'Pete Jones has decided to retire from active contracting to concentrate on the farm and his well-known livestock handling equipment fabrication business.'
The tractors on offer include three Claas Arion 650s and a Claas Axion 810, complemented by a pair of Manitou MLA 628 and JCB 310 telehandlers. Also included is a Bateman Hilo sprayer with two sets of wheels and a fertiliser skid frame.
Grassland equipment includes a Kuhn rear mower (FC 9530D), Claas front mower, Claas four rotor rake, Kuhn single rotor rake and a Pottinger eight-row tedder. Three Richard Western tipping trailers - RC12 (2008), SF14 (2018) and SF14 (2019) – will also be going under the hammer.
Included in the sale from other vendors, by kind permission, are a Hitachi ZX38U-5A 3.7-ton mini digger and three tractors, a 2011 John Deere 6930, a 2019 CASE IH Maxxum 145 and a 1991 Ford 6410 Super Q Turbo Charge Series 3.
The sale begins at 10.30am with an extensive range of workshop equipment, tools, spares and farming sundries together with a range of livestock feeding equipment. Bidding will also be available on the MartEye online auction platform from 12.30pm.
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