Each year CMG gets quite a number of enquiries from meadow owners looking for someone who will cut their fields at the right time. We know that often the bigger commercial contractors are flat out cutting on large sites when there is haymaking weather – and that your gateways and tracks may not be suitable for the big kit. One contractor that may be able to help is Adam Butler – whose details will be put on our “Useful Links” section on this site. PONT kindly posted his contact details to both the Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire Facebook pages – so I called him for a chat.

Adam has a smaller tractor – and all the necessary kit to make small bale hay. He is able to cover a very wide geographical area of West Wales potentially from his base out near Cardigan.

I say potentially – as it’s a big area and travel has a cost. Adam will potentially cover jobs in:

Pembrokeshire; Ceredigion up to Aberaeron and inland to Newcastle Emlyn and Llandysul; Carmarthenshire as far East as Carmarthen and around. He might go further east into Carmarthenshire and down towards Kidwelly – but this is going to come down to the matter of organisation by those who would like the services.

For those hunting for someone to cut, the issue often is that it is only a few acres that need cutting – and also nowhere to store the baled hay. If Adam travels a distance, then there is the cost of fuel to get there – and then not only cutting but tedding (several times) before baling. This process can take several days so you can see quickly how the cost to him adds up before he’s even made the hay. Adam will provide a price for mowing, tedding and rowing up, baling, wrapping – and carting bales. The prices (as is usual) are mostly per acre – with some sort of charge to cover travel.

If people in an area can get a bit organised then that will make the several journeys needed worthwhile. If you don’t want the hay product then that too can be factored into the price.

Given the problem that people face every year in getting fields cut, this seems like a very good opportunity to use our group to help get organised and support a local business. In so doing you might also get to know your near (ish) neighbours in CMG or even those not in the group near you who need their fields cut.

Adam’s mobile number is 07870 520305.

I think this is a useful opportunity – as here is someone who is potentially providing exactly the service that appears to be needed, has the right equipment to do it – and is willing to travel. To make sense of this, given that a lot of us only have small (ish) plots of land, we ought to help him to help us. Several jobs in the same area together will make a massive difference to getting the service year on year.

I would really like some feedback on this – CMG have addresses and contact details for our members but obviously that data is held securely and is subject to regulation. It may be that those in the Facebook groups can connect up but what is demand for services like? I look forward to hearing from you.

thanks all

Rachel