Groundswell 2021

Lincsman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Lincolnshire
but there must have been a myriad of other reasons why the grey fergy displaced the steam ploughing, otherwise we would still be ploughing with two tractors at either end of the field!
Steam ploughing was contractors, grey fergys were farm workers, and as we know progress isnt always for the better.

I would imagine winching is more efficient, you dont tow 44 tonne trucks out of ditches, you winch them.
 

sjt01

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
North Norfolk
Steam ploughing was contractors, grey fergys were farm workers, and as we know progress isnt always for the better.

I would imagine winching is more efficient, you dont tow 44 tonne trucks out of ditches, you winch them.
While I was working in Malawi in 1976, Silsoe College were testing a winching system to plough smallholder plots. Here is a photo of them endurance testing by dragging a lump of concrete. It was called the Snail, and the winch and anchor were a way of avoiding wheel slip from small wheels and light tractors.

2121 Snail.JPG
 

Wombat

Member
BASIS
Location
East yorks
While I was working in Malawi in 1976, Silsoe College were testing a winching system to plough smallholder plots. Here is a photo of them endurance testing by dragging a lump of concrete. It was called the Snail, and the winch and anchor were a way of avoiding wheel slip from small wheels and light tractors.

View attachment 971988

Would that have been a Peter Crossley project?
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
Just what I thought, better than a grey fergy trundling up and down smearing the furrow bottom.
yeah i guess. for ploughing,
i was hinting at controlled traffic, which can be done of course with wide implements and harvesting kit but even a quad track wont pull a 10metre plough :cautious:

i think im right in saying that clever thinkers suggest maybe be not tiny 'bots' for extensive field work but definatly a lot lighter than what is used currently 'modern set of kit will be the future but used with controlled traffic tracks...
but who knows without their crystal ball :unsure:
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
I'm disappointed by the overall low Groundswell coverage in the main Ag press last week and this.

Clearly change is slow in coming.
To be fair, the FW have been running a few stories they picked up at the show and will probably continue to do so for a while. Other papers are likewise dibbling out pieces...there were a lot of ideas floating about that should be of interest to their readers!

On that point, a handful of videos have now been posted up on the website. They are higher quality than we're used to, which is why they're taking longer to sort out and upload, they'll all be up soon. https://www.youtube.com/groundswell-agriculture
 

E_B

Member
Location
Norfolk
To be fair, the FW have been running a few stories they picked up at the show and will probably continue to do so for a while. Other papers are likewise dibbling out pieces...there were a lot of ideas floating about that should be of interest to their readers!

On that point, a handful of videos have now been posted up on the website. They are higher quality than we're used to, which is why they're taking longer to sort out and upload, they'll all be up soon. https://www.youtube.com/groundswell-agriculture

I'm sure everyone appreciates the time, effort and expense to get these talks online, cheers 👍
 

Hindsight

Member
Location
Lincolnshire
Steam ploughing was contractors, grey fergys were farm workers, and as we know progress isnt always for the better.

I would imagine winching is more efficient, you dont tow 44 tonne trucks out of ditches, you winch them.

Yes always fascinated me that on farms to shift a stuck tractor we attach a chain and then give it a big heave with another tractor when a winch from a fixed position is so more effective, safe and potentially less damaging to the stuck tractor and towing tractor. Odd really. In my young days I witnessed first hand Pete Cosby Skegness ex Army winches recover trailers of wheat semi rolled into ditces and stuck pea viner or two. And what an illuminating experience that was.
 

Wolds Beef

Member
Totally off topic! A few years ago when Sanderson's were on the go. We hosted the Horncastle and Coningsby ploughing Match. Sanderson's came with a lorry load of there forklifts for there stand. Happily unloading on the main roadside in October they parked said forklifts by the lorry on the verge, not realising it was soft. Luckily we had a steam ploughing set working for the day, both of the engines got the steam up in our yard ,trundled down the road, hitched to the forklifts and with no effort pulled them out. I wish I had my camera!!
WB
 

Wolds Beef

Member
@martian I have posted on another thread that Groundswell always clashes with the Lincolnshire Show. Now, I know it is difficult, but there are many young and active farmers in the County that act as stewards for the 2 days of the show and more that are working on the stands. Could the date be moved in a year or 2's time so that we can get a look and the Lincoln Red society might even have a stand!
WB
 

ajd132

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
The wheat doesn't belong to us...there's some complex law that prohibits the buying or selling of heritage wheat seed. Ours was effectively grown under contract
Is there really any point messing around with this kind of stuff? Always sounds nice but mostly ends up as a disaster!
 

martian

DD Moderator
BASE UK Member
Location
N Herts
@martian I have posted on another thread that Groundswell always clashes with the Lincolnshire Show. Now, I know it is difficult, but there are many young and active farmers in the County that act as stewards for the 2 days of the show and more that are working on the stands. Could the date be moved in a year or 2's time so that we can get a look and the Lincoln Red society might even have a stand!
WB
It's a tricky time of year, there's always a lot going on, different County Shows etc. The timing works well for us and our exhibitors and I can't see it moving. Sometime in the future, Groundswell might calve down and have a sister show (not sure how that analogy works genetically, but anyway) somewhere else in the country. Demand is certainly growing...
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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