Drainage Experts: We Chat with The Lincolnshire Drainage Company

For over half a century, Lincolnshire Drainage Company (LDC) has been looking after more than 1600 customers in Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk who all benefit from their vast experience in agricultural and civil drainage schemes.

With recently the wettest winter on record, LDC has never been busier, and we recently met their Project Manager George Firth to find out more about their family business and how technology is helping optimise agricultural productivity and maintain the health of our land. 

 What’s the history of your business? 

We have been established since 1964 and the business was started by Willem Den Hartog, after coming over from Holland. Willem had a great passion for drainage and had much experience from the Dutch land operations. David Firth my father bought the company in 2006 after meeting Willem when installing some drainage on his own farm at Sutterton. I joined the business in August 2011, and now manage our agricultural and civils contracts nationwide. We are proud to have 3 members of the Firth family working in the business today.  

What does LDC do? 

Farming well drained agricultural land is a priceless asset to any arable farmer. Well drained land leads to increased yields, extended growing period, lower harvesting costs and lower drilling and cultivation costs and we have a wealth of experience spanning almost 60 years. Over this time, we have gained an unrivalled reputation as a quality contractor that leaves no stone unturned in completing a successful and effective drainage solution. After an initial enquiry we will arrange a free of charge, no obligation meeting for an independent consultant to come and discuss the areas in question, look at existing drainage plans and take thorough land and water levels. From that a plan will be drawn up (see image below) to suit the customer’s requirements. 

Once they are completely satisfied with the proposed solution we will discuss timings of the work to be completed, access and gravel tipping locations. Once the work begins we will use state of the art machinery only operated by trained and experienced personnel. To complete we will provide an ‘as laid’ plan of the installed drainage. 

We have an unrivalled fleet of nine stoning machines, which are capable of installing gravel in all conditions. Installation of gravel through the gravel hopper attached to the back of the pipe box means we can prevent wastage and install clean gravel to the exact depths required by the customer. We now have 30 people who work for us. 

How has the business changed over the past 10 years? 

The main changes have been investment in new machinery and using GPS technology to ensure our customers receive the most cost effective and efficient job. Lincolnshire Drainage Co Ltd was the first land drainage company to use GPS depth control in Europe. We worked closely with Mastenbroek®, Trimble® and Farm Works Software® to help produce a system that was reliable and accurate. 

 On all five of our Mastenbroek 30/20 Trenchers we run the latest GPS technology, which allows our trenchers to get the most precise level when trenching. This allows us to accurately lay our drains ‘on grade’ to the correct levels in your field, digging only to the depth which is required and allowing us to use the required amount of aggregates. We achieve this by surveying every drain individually with the trencher. This will appear on a screen in the cab for the operator to see, allowing them to see where there are any lower areas. Therefore, we can use aggregates more effectively, directly targeting each low area for maximum effect each time. As the GPS system continues to develop and improve we continue to invest in the improvements that are made. We now have two trenchers that are using auto steer technology as well as depth control. 

This new GPS system is far better than the old laser system that was introduced in the 1970s. It is more accurate for depth control of the trench. It requires less labour in the field and automatically records each job as it goes, which means we can produce more precise plans once the work has been carried out. As the system is also less susceptible to weather this means we can work when the elements are against us. 

We have also seen a steady growth in business recently due to the increase in offshore windfarms locally, which has in turn increased our civils workloads. The unprecedented changing weather patterns and increased rainfall has also made land owners consider investing in land drainage. In some years land drainage is the difference between having a crop to harvest and complete crop loss, or even having the ability to access a crop so that it can be harvested and, as we all know, the weather is unpredictable. 

Land drainage is a long term investment in the land and therefore schemes need to be considered very carefully. That’s why we employ independent land drainage consultants to recommend schemes that are best for the customer. 

Although initial cost of land drainage can seem high, the benefits are there for all to see, with a typical agricultural yield increase of 25%, extended growing periods, and an increase in the value of your land. The benefits far exceed the cost, especially when considering a typical 30 year lifespan of the system, and well-maintained schemes lasting much longer. 

We set out to deliver first class and cost effective land drainage solutions to our customers, using modern machinery and skilled operatives and will continue to invest in our resources. 

How long have you been a customer of Witham Group? 

Always since I can remember! We buy oils and greases and paints for all our machinery and equipment. Good service is why we work with Witham and its so important that we get reliable products to us on time. Darren Smart from Witham works closely with Sean our fitter to ensure that he has all he needs to complete his job efficiently.