A rapidly growing fleet of Valtra tractors has been ticking all the boxes for a large Lincolnshire-based salad and vegetable producer.
Trading as Windy Ridge Vegetables Ltd, based near Boston, Mark and Mick Nundy farm approximately 360 ha of mainly Grade 1 silt land. Crops include cabbage, cauliflower, savoy cabbage, and pumpkins, as well as specialist vegetables. Planting and harvesting continue throughout most of the year to maintain supplies of fresh produce.
When the Chandlers (Farm Equipment) Ltd Valtra Area Sales Manager, Rob Immink, visited the farm back in 2022 to discuss a new fertiliser spreader, he suggested to Mark and Mick that they should try a Valtra. A demonstration N-series tractor with a front loader was driven by several operators, and it quickly proved popular - so much so that it never returned to the dealer. Having never owned a Valtra before, they now have a fleet of 13 units, ranging from the A Series through the Q Series. “It has been great to be able to build such a good relationship with Mark and Mick in such a short period of time and support them throughout their buying journey and despite being our customers, they are now more like friends”, states Rob.
Mark and Mick were keen to join the Valtra Brand Ambassador scheme and look at ways in which they could showcase how the Valtra brand has made a difference to their farm and daily lives whilst also raising the profile of farming here in the UK. After several meetings between Sarah Howarth, Valtra A&SP Digital Marketing Manager, and Tom Wragg from Helium Media, a video project was commissioned by Valtra with the aim of capturing a “Year in the Life” on the farm.
Tom was very keen to work with the Nundy family and Valtra on this exciting project. "It was great working alongside Valtra and Mark & Mick at Windy Ridge, learning about not only their amazing farm as a business but also their story and the passion they have for farming and its future. A very inspirational father and son relationship.”
Filming commenced back in 2023, and the final scenes were shot in June this year. Filming took place on location at the farm throughout the year, showcasing the trials and tribulations of the different seasons and varying weather conditions. It has also seen Tom accompany Mark down to London to the New Covent Garden wholesale market to see first-hand where the end produce is sold and following Mark and Mick on a trip to Finland in March this year to the Valtra factory in Suolahti.
“I am keen to see and hear what reactions we get to each episode when released. They truly encapsulate the hard work and effort that goes into farming and will help to generate a better understanding of being a leading UK brassica grower and life within it," explains Sarah. “Mark and Mick have been a joy to work with, and I am positive that viewers from both within the farming community and those that are just enjoying learning about it will enjoy watching each episode. I did!”
Mick, Director at Windy, summarises his time behind the camera. “It has been an absolute pleasure working with both Valtra and Chandlers doing this filming, and I can’t thank Tom enough for what he has been able to produce during his time with us on the farm. Just amazing.”
With filming now complete, we are happy to announce that four different episodes have been created that will be released by Valtra on their social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, on the following dates:
16.09.24 Episode 1 “The Roots of Windy”
30.09.24 Episode 2 “Tending to the Fields”
14.10.24 Episode 3 “Reaping the Rewards”
28.10.24 Episode 4 “The Seeds of Tomorrow”
For more information on the Valtra product range contact you local Chandlers FV depot.