Pilsgate Demonstration Evening
Updated: Jul 25, 2025
We held our second annual demonstration evening at Pilsgate, Stamford, on the 4th June 2025.
The Oakbank Demonstration site was established at Pilsgate Farm, near Stamford, in the autumn of 2023, courtesy of Alex Miles and the Velcourt team at Stamford. The site is adjacent to Velcourt’s own wheat varieties and nitrogen rate trials. The Pilsgate farm is typically limestone brash. The aim of the demonstration site is to show various stewardship mixes and management techniques side-by-side, to give a visual demonstration of some of the issues that we regularly discuss with clients. As an example, we are often asked what the benefit is of including grass in an AB15/NUM3/CNUM3 legume fallow? Well now you have the opportunity to see the difference between a grass-free mix and one containing grass through the growing season, in terms of sward establishment and competitiveness with problem weeds such as blackgrass.
Over the last 18 months, we have been managing various stewardship mixes on site, all situated side by side, and were very pleased to welcome nearly 100 people on a tour through the establishment and management of these habitats. Yara were also there to showcase their crop nutrient trials, including nutrient use efficiency and the use of biostimulants.
Clover and vetch in full flower in first year of the bumblebird seed mix 
Tim Furbank speaking to an audience of farm managers and land owners on agri-environmental seed 
Harry Moffat at Pilsgate Demonstration evening 
Oakbank team at the Pilsgate Demonstration evening 
AB16 and SFI AHW1 bumblebird mix in flower in year 2 at the Pilsgate Demonstration evening 
Agri-environmental seed mix demonstration day including flowering clover and phacelia
It really is wonderful to see the plant diversity, the flowering diversity and the wildlife diversity the bumblebird mix brings. It is often an overlooked option, but it really is great to use in conjunction with winter bird food, to help supply year-long habitat for your farmland birds and other farmland species.
We closed the evening with food and refreshments.
Please get in touch if you would like to come next year either by registering below, emailing the team or calling the office!
