This was more than just an event, more than just a story of bread, more than just something that took place. This was a journey, an adventure, and a deep dive into the blood, sweat, and tears farmers put into they’re work on the fields.
Before going into this journey me and the crowds of people were told to picture a big lot of land, rich in green grass. Carl and Chris, the two speakers on this farming subject began to go into detail of how it’s really not as easy as you may think.
They said how every statistic down to the soil and water within the fields they have to measure before beginning to farm, meaning they have to scan the big fields and run conductivity tests to make sure everything is okay to actually start the growing process. Using they’re great Ben Burgess drill tractor they showed us in great detail how the drilling works, allowing them to plant the wheat seeds quickly and effectively. After planting the wheat seeds, they said they must water them, to show this process they brought out the G & J Peck spray tractor. To show how it worked they activated the sprayers giving excitement and more of an insight to how the system of spraying works.
From here we were told a farmer has two choices, to show the first they brought out the Ernest Doe bailing tractor, they explained how a farmer can transform the wheat into haybales to sell for things such as animal bedding or livestock feed. To show the second option they brought out Thurlow Nunn Standen’s grain cart tractor and Claas Manns combiner, they explained how the combiner collects the wheat from the fields cutting the plant, separating the grain from the plant, and cleaning the plant. They also explained how the grain cart collects the grain from the combine, making it efficient to combine and collect the grain to move it into transport trucks, then to be made into the great bread we eat nearly everyday.
From knowing the statistics of the field right down to the the collection of the grain by the grain cart, we were taken on a journey of how amazing and hard working our countries farmers are. In this we can understand our countries farmers are and can give them the great appreciation they deserve for the delicious food they help to put on our tables.
Fun Facts
- 12 million tonnes of wheat are grown every year.
- 58% of all crops grown in Lincolnshire are wheat.
- A sheave old farmers tail, is that farmers in the olden days used to wait for three Sundays when the Church bells rang, each Sunday having great weather, they would then collect the sheaves from the fields.
- 11 tonnes of wheat seeds will produce 850,000 loaves of bread by one grain tank.
Blog piece and photography by Calvin Frederick of College of West Anglia.
