Map for Direct Drilling

snarling bee

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Bedfordshire
Thank you. But I should really credit Steve Townsend of Soil First Farming re his thoughts on No-till veg production and the fact the Machinery manufacturers need to catch up on the No-till harvesting side of the veg equation.
He has successfully grown potatoes, carrots and parsnips in his own garden without disturbing soil, under FYM compost.

Could we see @Clive returning to growing potatoes?
Now, there is a thought!
Did Steve restrict his compost use to the legal maximum, ie 35t/ha? Did he spread it only when there was a crop need??!
 

Two Tone

Member
Mixed Farmer
Did Steve restrict his compost use to the legal maximum, ie 35t/ha? Did he spread it only when there was a crop need??!
I don’t know. But I’m absolutely sure he would love to tell you himself if you contact him through the Soil First Farming company at soilfirstfarming.co.uk

Those of you how already know him will also be absolutely sure how much he’d love to tell us all too!!
He is very enthusiastic and as been proved to me here, IMO rightly so.
As is his well known colleague, known to us on TFF, @Warnesworth .

It was Steve and the sadly missed, late @JimBullock who set up BASE-UK
 
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Forget about a map of suitable soils or climate, it’s all in your mindset. If such a map existed I’d never have started. Although I’m in the ‘dry’ south east we’d get over 1000 mm of rain in a wet year and probably a 4 on your scale of classification as we’re on heavy silty clay soils. I’ve been direct drilling for 22 years now. I’ll let @Clive, @ajd132, @martian et al testify whether or not they think it’s worked in these conditions.

Always makes me laugh when an Englishman talks of 1000mm per year being a lot of rain. I do agree that it is a mindset thing and if anything direct drilling makes more sense in a wet climate than creating a soil soup!
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 80 42.3%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 34.9%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 15.9%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

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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