What will the next traditional/ old fashioned/ tried and tested system of farming that will get reinvented?

[Pilatus]

As above.
I ask as the rebranding of old farming techniques/ practices seems to be all part of 21st century farming hype, created by academics etc( even some younger farmers), thinking they are thinking out of the box.
Not good as in all honesty It’s not taking farming forward as regards feeding mankind for the future.

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Trouble is feeding mankind for the future doesn’t seem to be important in current farming policy. Instead, say you’ve invented a new system that’s “eco friendly” and you’re a hero

 

[Working from home]

Not so much a farming practice or method of doing a job, but it has to be bringing back Smithfield Show for me. Had some awesome trips down there, probably more so because I was in my late teens,early 20s but the crack was just unreal, London full of farmers, just before Christmas, good times

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I was lucky enough to spend 30 years of my life with my Dad, and he must have said dozens of times: “There’s nothing new in farming. It’s all been done before.”

Ploughing will be the next big thing.

 

[Welderloon]

7 year rotation including grass leys.................................& ploughing to the hedgerows

 

[Nearly]

Fiddle drills.
I'm ahead of the game yet again.

 

[nick...]

Not so much a farming practice or method of doing a job, but it has to be bringing back Smithfield Show for me. Had some awesome trips down there, probably more so because I was in my late teens,early 20s but the crack was just unreal, London full of farmers, just before Christmas, good times

With you on this.several of us caught train from Norwich to Liverpool Street and then taxi to Earl's Court.I'm sure we got taken past same spot 2/3 times as we were country simpletons.great days though
nick...

 

[som farmer]

with the price of new kit, dog and stick farming looks very attractive.

l wonder where production levels, of pre 'chemical' farming, would be today, if the money spent on research, into sprays/fert etc, had been spent on research and improving those old systems.

and as farmers, we are experts at complicating simple ag tasks !

wildlife populations expand or shrink with the available food source, human intelligence has, so far, managed to keep the available food source, and allowed the human wildlife, to continually increase in number, and become the ultimate apex predator.

things could get very interesting, if nature triumphed over man's inventiveness. Even humans would be shrunk to match available food sources. Perhaps that wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

[Working from home]

And the funniest thing about Smithfield was easily spotting all the farmers at the tube stations, Tweed Jackets and flat caps. A tube would come hurtling in and stop, doors open, people get off, people get on, doors shut, tube goes again. Left on the platform are a dozen farmers scratching their heads under the brim of their cap. Next train comes in, same again but even more farmers are now on the platorm. After about 3 or 4 tubes go by they now know they just have to go for it!!! Funny times

 

[snarling bee]

Ploughing will be the next big thing.

It is for me. Reasons already discussed.

 

[hendrebc]

I was lucky enough to spend 30 years of my life with my Dad, and he must have said dozens of times: “There’s nothing new in farming. It’s all been done before.”

Ploughing will be the next big thing.

Ploughing properly ar 4-5 inches deep might be better than glyphosate even.

 

[Devil's advocate]

And the funniest thing about Smithfield was easily spotting all the farmers at the tube stations, Tweed Jackets and flat caps. A tube would come hurtling in and stop, doors open, people get off, people get on, doors shut, tube goes again. Left on the platform are a dozen farmers scratching their heads under the brim of their cap. Next train comes in, same again but even more farmers are now on the platorm. After about 3 or 4 tubes go by they now know they just have to go for it!!! Funny times

It was great that they brought a trailer load of Welsh halfbred shearling to Soho.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Ploughing properly ar 4-5 inches deep might be better than glyphosate even.

Transplanting weed grasses is a great way to get a thick sward. Like laying a hedge.

 

[kfpben]

Stubble burning
Give the village something to moan about

 

[neilo]

Ploughing will be the next big thing.

I have an inkling that the spreading of white powder on the soil will be all the rage in a few years time, after several years of nobody being able to afford it as farming income gets pummeled from all sides.

 

[hendrebc]

Transplanting weed grasses is a great way to get a thick sward. Like laying a hedge.

How many weed grasses would there be under an arable crop though?
I was following a discussion on WhatsApp group from some farmers that wanted to grow some crop or another and neither were particularly happy about bring so reliant on glyphosate so we're looking for a plough suitable for shallow ploughing. Makes sense to me. I've not done a lot of ploughing but when I have the wheel on the old ransomes was already set to plough 5 inch deep. Dad said he always did it at that depth burying old permanent grass no problem. It seemed to work to my uneducated eyes I didn't touch the depth wheel.
I watched someone ploughing stubble with a horse at 4inches and it looked fine to me. A light tickle with a light harrow and it would have been ready to go
I'm sure the problem with cultivation where there is one isn't the actual cultivation but the depth it's done at.
I'm not clever enough to work out how to do it at scale though.
You heard it here first. Direct drilling is out and (shallow) ploughing is the next big environmental saviour thing.

 

[Devil's advocate]

How many weed grasses would there be under an arable crop though?
I was following a discussion on WhatsApp group from some farmers that wanted to grow some crop or another and neither were particularly happy about bring so reliant on glyphosate so we're looking for a plough suitable for shallow ploughing. Makes sense to me. I've not done a lot of ploughing but when I have the wheel on the old ransomes was already set to plough 5 inch deep. Dad said he always did it at that depth burying old permanent grass no problem. It seemed to work to my uneducated eyes I didn't touch the depth wheel.
I watched someone ploughing stubble with a horse at 4inches and it looked fine to me. A light tickle with a light harrow and it would have been ready to go
I'm sure the problem with cultivation where there is one isn't the actual cultivation but the depth it's done at.
I'm not clever enough to work out how to do it at scale though.
You heard it here first. Direct drilling is out and (shallow) ploughing is the next big environmental saviour thing.

My experience even 8 inch deep, weed grasses grow with extra vigour when ploughed.

Ploughed 4 times in one summer at angles is an alternative to roundup.

 

[B'o'B]

Feeding the world will remain a con to keep commodity prices low for a good few years yet, 20 years at least.
Look at the millions of tonnes of potential food that get turned into fuel or thrown in the bin every day, eliminate that from the supply/demand equation and think where our prices would go.
Farmers are too good at pumping out produce for other businesses to make money from.

 

[JockCroft]

Small Hay bales, working horses, wheelbarrow and shovel for mucking out.

Save on your polluting emissions.

 

[B'o'B]

How many weed grasses would there be under an arable crop though?
I was following a discussion on WhatsApp group from some farmers that wanted to grow some crop or another and neither were particularly happy about bring so reliant on glyphosate so we're looking for a plough suitable for shallow ploughing. Makes sense to me. I've not done a lot of ploughing but when I have the wheel on the old ransomes was already set to plough 5 inch deep. Dad said he always did it at that depth burying old permanent grass no problem. It seemed to work to my uneducated eyes I didn't touch the depth wheel.
I watched someone ploughing stubble with a horse at 4inches and it looked fine to me. A light tickle with a light harrow and it would have been ready to go
I'm sure the problem with cultivation where there is one isn't the actual cultivation but the depth it's done at.
I'm not clever enough to work out how to do it at scale though.
You heard it here first. Direct drilling is out and (shallow) ploughing is the next big environmental saviour thing.

I think it’s depth and frequency that is the main issues with cultivation. I think you might be right about shallow ploughing, but I wouldn’t want it to be done annually.