At an organic dairy farm in Lancashire, where the ethos is firmly on maximizing efficiency over maximizing output, a Landia chopper pump is playing a vital role in the use of slurry as fertilizer.
Using energy captured from solar panels at the all-electric, 247-acre farm, the 7.5 kW pump transfers slurry nearly a third of a mile, directly from the main dry cow house to the external lagoon, making considerable savings on fuel and labor.
HIGH QUALITY WITHOUT THE HIGH COST
A supplier to the Arla dairy co-operative, which has one of the world’s largest externally-validated climate data sets from dairy farms, Old Holly Farm near Garstang is run almost entirely by one person: Ian Pye.
“First, we tried a diesel pump,” says Pye, “but the process was costly and took up way too much time. Every drop of slurry is important to us, so we wanted a simple and long-lasting solution, which to be honest, we believed we could achieve with Landia, but given their pedigree, thought would be too expensive.
“However, this just wasn’t the case at all with cost,” Pye continues, “and five years on, the decision has been more than justified; very good value for money, actually. It just works; very reliable. Compared to scooping up slurry with a tractor and then transporting it, sending it directly to the lagoon with a decent pump is a no brainer”.
TACKLING A TOUGH, THICK TASK
When manure from the farm’s 140 cows is particularly thick (depending on time of year/diet/maternity), it is moved over 300 feet to the lagoon in the yard, but the vast majority of time, the Landia Chopper Pump—which for flexibility, was supplied with a moveable control panel—sends the slurry straight to the lagoon. Continually breaking down solid particles, the pump’s knife system prevents harmful debris from entering the pump’s casing, so that it remains clog-free.
Pye adds, “In five years, all we’ve ever needed for the pump has been a new float switch, which is very good going. Even then, it was all very simple and economical; quick turnaround, with a part that our electrician could fit easily.”
MORE THAN A CLIENT, A FAMILY
Pye notes that Landia’s commitment to service after the sale was another winning component in his choice of pumps.
“Some companies can make the supply of spares unnecessarily difficult and very costly, but we’ve had nothing but friendly and helpful support from Landia,” Pye adds. “From day one, they listened hard to understand what we wanted to do, and how they could help us best achieve our goals.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Soren Rasmussen is the director of Landia, Inc. Landia uses its nearly ninety years of experience to continue to develop new and efficient products and solutions. Together with its customers, Landia is aiming for new heights. Customers get a partner with a strong team of happy employees who focus on what matters most to them: good solutions that solve the task at the lowest possible cost. For more information, call 919.466.0603, email info@landiainc.com, visit www.landiainc.com.
MODERN PUMPING TODAY, April 2022
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