Harvest time is all about keeping the team going well. JVFG member Pelham Farming prepare thoroughly for harvest. For this Essex farming joint venture that means not only preparing to keep the wheels turning efficiently all harvest long but also preparing the team to be able to deal effectively and successfully with an emergency should, heaven forbid, one of the Pelham Farming team be injured at work.

Good first aid response does not only depend on being able to reach a well-stocked first aid kit in a farm rest room or tractor cab. The correct response of team members is critically important. This is why Pelham Farming bring in a specialist training companies the Saffron Walden Training Group and the Community Heartbeat Trust to get everyone up to scratch.

Including first aid training along with machinery operation skills is part of the Pelham Farming Team philosophy.  Looking hard at this joint venture’s performance compared to other joint ventures is as important as ever. If the team is not briefed and involved in how output and performance can be enhanced then there is unlikely to be improvement.

New for 2016, this season’s training for the farm team included the use of a defibrillator.The whole team gets refreshed on tips and techniques to be used in a wide range of potential on-farm emergencies with the farm kit and also with those working with and around them.

Spending time learning together is a precursor to working well together. Group learning allows opportunities to reinforce the main points and there’s more chance of them being remembered and used. At the end of the this year’s sessions the thirteen-strong team declared themselves to feel ready for harvest 2016 having had forklift, PA4 and defibrillator training.

With getting on for 3000 hectares to harvest there is a mountain of work for Pelham Farming to get through. If you would like a glimpse the team at work at harvest then there’s a short film Pelham Farming Harvest 2015 .

In Harvest 2016, team work – not just keeping going but providing the right response in the event of an accident – will be as important as ever.