From farm to finish line: Massey Ferguson, impeccable tractors … and how cycling is more like farming than you think!

Farming is not always fun and games. It takes extreme perseverance, resilience (and sometimes long suffering!) to see the harvest at the end of the season. Some equate it to a marathon, or in this case, competing in bicycle races!

Damien Stamp, third generation farmer at Chartwell Farms, has this to say about his two passions: biking and farming: “Mountain biking has become something that we do every day around the farm. My dad and I conduct business meetings on our bicycles. This relates back to farming, and how long and tough seasons can be, just like long and tough races such as Cape Epic.

“You prepare so long for a harvest season or a planting season, making sure all your equipment is in working order, just really applying everything that you have practiced and prepared for.”

Damien Stamp, who has competed in the Cape Epic, explains that bicycling and farming have many correlations.

Damien proudly states that they have always had Massey Ferguson tractors on their farm. “We started with the MF 7618s, and we had a MF 7624. We have just done the first rotation with those tractors, and now we have a brand new MF 7S,” he says.

Massey Ferguson: Always neat, always tidy

According to Damien, Massey Ferguson is doing something right with their design. He says: “Massey have got it really neat and tidy with how they kept their tractors super simple, yet they have been able to tie in all the key technologies that you need.” He continues by saying that the most exciting part of their tractor fleet, is how Massey integrated all their systems into the tractors.

He is not the only one who feels this way. “We like the way that the technology in the different tractors speak to each other,” says Steve Stamp, Damien’s father, who has been farming for over 50 years. “Come planting season, we are aiming that our three planters interact with one another in terms of mapping, AB lines, prescription maps and so on.”

Steve mentions that they re-entered the Massey scene about six years ago. “It has been a wonderful road for us! We have full confidence in the product. We firmly believe, having seen the full package here on the farm, that Massey is a brand we can go into the future with.”

: Damien Stamp is chuffed with the improvements Massey Ferguson has made on their farm.

Make the most of your fields with Massey

“These days, getting to fully utilise each square meter has become super important. Having section control has been a huge asset. Boundary lines and being able to plant freely knowing you are not going to have overlap has been a key part of the operation,” Damien explains.

He also adds that while there are many things to worry about in farming, Massey relieves that stress. “Knowing we have our backs covered on the equipment side, gives us time to focus on all the other variables.”

As any farmer knows, not everything always goes according to plan and breakdowns are simply part of the game. Damien mentions that the important part is how these breakdowns are being dealt with. “That is where our dealer, Drakensberg Agricultural Services (DAS), comes into play. They are always there for us – any day of the week, even Sunday afternoons!” He adds that DAS stands by them with any mechanical or technological issues.

Sven Röhrs, Co-Director at DAS, explains it: “DAS’ relationship with Chartwell has been an absolute pleasure. Watching them adapt their farming operation and us adapting our business – there is such a synergy between a family-owned farm and a family-owned business.”

Mechanically and technologically speaking, it does not get better than this!

He continues by saying that they have been involved with Massey products since 2008, and the way it has evolved mechanically and technologically has been refreshing. “It is also motivation to make necessary changes in how we conduct our business, to make sure we are keeping up with the times in the same way the product is,” he adds.

Leon Röhrs, Owner and Co-Director of DAS, says that he does everything in his power to help farmers who are experiencing downtime. “I stand on both sides of the counter. I know what it feels like when my planter is not working in planting time. I try my utmost to ensure our customers do not have that experience.”

Massey tractors stop for nothing! Leon says that they have many customers whose MF-tractors have “a ridiculous number of hours” on them. “The cost of ownership on those machines are almost zero and they are still going strong,” he concludes.