Farm update 294 New drill arrives, Vaderstad Top Down demo, spray off Beans, SFI crops established.

[@grahamsandry313]

Never stop doing these updates. They literally make my Sunday morning with a cup of coffee. Happy days.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Cheers Graham! 😊👍

[@jasonsmith5487]

Hi Andrew recently subscribed to your channel been catching up with old updates. I really enjoy the content it's very interesting. About must be twenty odd year's ago you gave are club Norfolk Farm Machinery club a fantastic farm walk it was part of a visit to Simba it was a great visit and they were fantastic hosts. And we travelled around your farm on are bus !! It was one of best trip's we had everyone remaked. Shame Simba disappeared they made some great bit's of kit.Thanks again Jason 👌👍

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I did so many of those with Simba, loved that time of my life. You’ll be just if you’re trying your catch up on videos!!

[@T4.3quarters]

Hello mr ward i delivered your drill i hope you get on well with it

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

You’ll no doubt hear if we don’t!!

[@yammyharrone]

That Väderstad might take some pulling, but it doesn't half seem to do a damn good job! Very impressive to see how technical cultivating has become in one implement. It'd be good to see that running in a year where we aren't digging into concrete! I live in a heavy clay area and been gobsmacked at how hard its been lifting the potatoes in my garden! God I hope we don't get another winter so wet!! Great video as always Wardy 🏆

[@robertsmith9810]

i agree but what is the cost of the machine

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

About £100k!

[@johnwarwick4105]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWardcan remember when that was the cost of a good combine 😂😂guess if you do 1000 acres a year and it lasts 10 years will cost you £1 an acre plus another £1 to £2 for wearing steel, plus fuel plus tractor plus drivers wages 😂 bargain

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂

[@matthewhodder3029]

That Top Down is a fair machine Andrew and conditions hard enough to shake Tom out of his seat? Wow! We haven't had a frost yet ( close to the coast ). Thank you for another interesting update. Keep waffling 😁

[@peterwilson-qj2ds]

Yet another good update Andrew, the top down looks like it was doing a good job. The weaving drill will be a good tool on wetter soils later in the drilling season, will be nice to see the beans being harvested in a week or two.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Agree with all those points. I think we’ll use the Freeflow when we do start drilling, it loves the current conditions!

[@andymercer8092]

Good update young man. Nice to see some ground work going on.

[@laytonphillips6667]

Great update andrew, noce looking drill, that topdown is doing a good job, good to get tom involved in the video, nice job with the fastrac and spreader.

[@johnhyde8892]

A good Sunday update Andrew, and a lovely view of the country side. I am just going Into SFI and it's getting ready to be applied for.

[@MachineryMastery-b1o]

The sheer power of this massive machine is awe-inspiring! Watching it tear through rock and earth is like witnessing a force of nature. Its engine roars with authority, proving its worth in every challenging terrain.

[@jfi368]

Sadly this is what conventional farmers have to do to cultivate their soil, this is a result of decades of mismanaging their soils !!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂😂😂

[@PeterGunton]

Very interesting update thankyou , cultivator looks impressive. As was the jcb and seed application

[@DaveAndrews-d6l]

Very interesting update topdown nice bit of kit looks impressive looking forward to the next update you must be starting drilling soon

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We need some serious rain first!

[@Gearoid35]

Great video Andrew, I love the new shiny kit.

[@barrytipton1179]

I was going to volunteer for Lincolnshire mountain rescue but not now I seen that cliff . Another good video

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂😂😂

[@carladams1363]

Good update Andrew . I’m pulling a 6 metre topdown with a 8400R on stubble near Wisbech Cracking bit of kit . You should have had a 6 metre on 8rx

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

What’s your soil like? Ours is 55% clay, 30% silt and like concrete, we can only just pull the 5m at 6.5k.

[@carladams1363]

About 50/50 an 11.5 k its using all 400 ponies in places , it had around 10mm of rain last week

[@jasonsmith1158]

Another great video, thank you, Andrew !!

[@andrewgrosset9327]

Great video, Andrew!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😊😊👍

[@johnhughes2113]

Good morning,

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

G’day! 😊

[@bobcrawford2105]

Load of straw looked a bit unstable at back lot of trust in strapping and sheeting. Vaderstad doing a great job and out of cab controls impressive

[@johnwarwick4105]

Yes think the crossways bales should have been one bale into he safer

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@johnwarwick4105 he got there ok though!

[@frankgibson3048]

Good luck with new machine

[@richardbaker22]

Gr video Andrew the vaderstad cultivator seems to be doing a good job

[@louthboy]

get the topdown bought when the penneis allow. Good bit of kit. I'm slightly jealous cus it has the double packer on, mine is an older model so only has a single roller. Tom is obviously keen on it. You could always pick up a 2nd hand machine

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Interesting what you say about the packers, a comment this morning here said avoid the double, go for single!!

[@markyoull6744]

great nice drill and top down doing goog job

[@johnhughes2113]

Thank you Andrew for another action packed educational info packed programe, look forward to Henry’s interview just think how far the unspent agri allocation would’ve helped on river bank restoration.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

The EA had £300m which they didn’t use for cap ex, that’s £600m in total. 🤬🤬🤬

[@johnhughes2113]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard its a bloody scandal,

[@Explorer214urban]

Morning Andrew, go 50mm points, and go for the normal in line packer roller as that will leave it less cloddy. Them double rollers are the devil when wet not to mention twice as many bearings to replace.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thank you, interesting advice. 👌😊👍

[@philhicks5818]

Yes 50 mm points way better , I’ve done thousands of acres with a 5 and 6 metre machines , one thing I will say , when it comes wet is does slump down tight behind a top down ,

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I think that’s the same with a solo.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Will the 50mm points be easier to pull?

[@Explorer214urban]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard easier to pull and won’t bring up the lumps. I have no idea why they are demoing it on them points nobody uses them.

[@brettski663]

First time ever I’ve had to top down the tramline once then when you set off doesn’t spin first time I’ve ever had to do that before. we are in nearly as deep as it goes

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We’ve done that before with the solo,

[@robertirving5293]

Any way keep the video coming Andrew nice to see what you been up to this week's. well week we had lost one or dog's to cancer 12 years old.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Oh nooo, so sorry to hear that. They are part of the family and give love all the time. My last German shepherd had cancer and we put her to sleep. I was distraught and so know how you feel. The pain and upset will ease in time but the memories will always be there. ☹️

[@robertirving5293]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Thank you Andrew yes it will take time.

[@dominicrobertson5885]

That is what I like to see, a demo of the Topdown on tough ground. Looked like is was doing a very good job. Be interesting to see how the Horsch Terrano compares. Personally having owned a Topdown but also had a demo of the Terrano I thought the Topdown was better. It moved more soil between the points. The build quality of the Topdown I believe was better. Also, from a resale point of view, the Topdown is a more sort after machine and hold it value better!

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It was doing a brilliant job, could have done with it deeper but the conditions and points stopped it I think ……. and we would have needed the Quadtrac back!

[@ronaldlucas5360]

Thanks for update.

[@casparAG]

Top down is my favourite cultivator

[@andykeeble1]

Excellent as always.

[@jfi368]

Weedkiller on our Baked Beans, marvelous 😢😢

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

They are for seed not to eat.

[@roblonsdale8927]

Grow your own then dip s hit

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂

[@jfi368]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard What a marvelous response from someone who's occupation is mainly based on the premis of on the take and on the make from the public purse !!!

[@davidcollingwood1262]

Great update again

[@adrianlayen4119]

Morning Andrew, great update. The vardestad looked impressive and made a nice job, just shows how much power and traction is needed to pull when the 8RX was spinning. The weaving drill looks good, looking forward to seeing it work. Are you still looking at getting another John Deere to replace the Fastrac? Looking forward to your visit to Henry's, that will be interesting.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We do want to change for a 215 R but loosing that contract farm to SFI means it’ll have to wait.

[@jhlane1977]

We’re now starting to run variable depth cultivation prescription plans from Omnia into these using soil type or sand/silt/clay data. Topdowns very popular in Suffolk on the heavier land.

[@petergarthwaite6805]

Great vid thank you 😊

[@fenlandagriphotography3045]

John Nobel at Cambridge farm machinery is the man to speak to to find very good second hand or reconditioned vaderstad kit, purchased both a topdown and rapid drill though them.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Thank you. 👌😊

[@julianhawker7672]

I would weld a "leg" down off the JCB autosteer bracket, to the upright. This would triangulate the mounting arm and likely take the annoying wobble out of the motor unit and negate the need to hold it. Quick,cheap and easy to do. HTH

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I was looking at something like that when I was driving it the other day. Cheers.👌😊

[@richardmorgan9918]

Another great video Andrew……. Have you trialed a Horsch 4m Tiger? Similar to the Vaderstad working to 35 cm depth

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

No we haven’t. We have a Fortis coming end of next week.

[@jamestatham9950]

I find it so interesting the difference in ground and the climate throughout the UK. You would think you were in a different country if u came here, we're in Lancashire farming sheep and cattle and the rain hasn't stopped in August and September, it has been a little better, but the ground is still wet and it's been cold some days, it's felt like autumn. I can't get over how dry your ground is, guess that's why u can grow crips and we can't!! If I could afford to I think I'd move to a drier part and the UK, fed up of this miserable weather!!😢

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It’s the driest it’s been for years but I’d rather it like this than the floods of earlier in the year!

[@bens8919]

my folks and i live 60miles apart either side of the Pennines and its incredible what the hills do, we have had days and days of rain, it seems endless this year ever since last September. where they live to the east they have had a couple of rain showers in the last few months and nothing more, their lawn is dead and trees are even suffering they have had so little rain, one of the farms near them has had naff all yeild and puts it down to drought! where farmers my side are being flooded out

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@bens8919 The difference is incredible

[@ronansfarm2679]

You should try a horsch tiger or terrano Good video

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Horsch Fortis coming end of the week.

[@westcoast5934]

12:09 Last April the department of agriculture in the Republic Of Ireland introduced a fodder transport subsidy scheme, IIRC there wasn't a great up take.

[@juliancope1925]

Cracking video again

[@philipmetcalfe6289]

Primary cults with the Top down are doing a decent job. Interesting to know the fuel use ? Bet the simba cost/acre will put it to shame ! Tines do a better job but are expensive and require much greater physical management.😮

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

17-21 litres a hectare which is about the same as the solo but the overall cost / hectare is a lot lower with the solo because of its age and hence price!

[@SpudSlingsby]

Are you looking to replace the old faithful Solo with that big red fancy electronic foreign red thing? It won't last as long, break down as little or keep its value the same you know...........a nice Simba SL would compliment the collection better perhaps? #justjossin

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

The solo is making a mess of the land at the mo because its so hard. I've been recommended to try the "big red fancy electronic foreign red thing" by a few people and Vaderstad came up trumps!!

[@jonstephens682]

Cracking update again Andrew. I saw this week a video with a thumb nail with a lorry parked at your place with the drill on it so I already knew you had a new drill 😂😂 those vaderstad kit is pretty good isn’t it very well made. How come we only see you driving the Kuhn spreader don’t the others want to go near it? 😂😂

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Whose video was that, it wasn’t mine? Tom and Reuben don’t know how to operate the control system and i enjoy it!

[@jonstephens682]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard merv Francis channel no it wasn’t yours, he drives for weaver.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Aah, now I understand!!

[@T4.3quarters]

​@@WardysWaffleAndrewWardthat would be me

[@jonstephens682]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I saw it during the week mate.

[@JimSessford]

Wasnt that a black grass seed you were looking at Andrew 😂

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂😂🤐

[@tommurphy3544]

Can’t buy vegetable seeds in the uk and send to Ireland or eu it’s too much hassle but English straw with black grass floods in

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Where’s the blackgrass coming from?

[@class185]

Depth control from tablet is nice but it noticeably ads up to price and can create problems in future

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I think for £8k it’s not bad, if it’s reliable. If you get a blockage in the machine, you can lift that part totally out of work, on the move and keep going. The more I think about it, it’s the business.

[@johnwarwick4105]

Saw a video the other day from a farmer in Ireland he had just had a load of chopped straw delivered from Spain, he showed the invoice and it was something like 7000 euros 220/ 240 per ton delivered I think it was 😳😳😳😳

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Wow!

[@jameshearn3524]

One of the big issues this harvest seems to be ergot, every farmer that I know has a problem with it. You haven’t, as far as I am aware mentioned it, is that because you have avoided it or you’d rather not highlight it. I’d be interested to get your take on it.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I’ll do a bit on it but we don’t have much at all. I think our zero tolerance to blackgrass is a big help.

[@robdavis5711]

Wow! The Väderstad is a beast… I guess broadcasting seed is the opposite to precision drilling, but what circumstances is it better in, for finer seeds or particular crops?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We broadcast it because it needs to be shallow. We’ve done it on all our flower grass margins and works a treat.

[@rotorhead5006]

I've not seen too many farms in the UK running dualies on tractors for a while! Can you get about without too much road work?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We have our fair share of roads and so escort it around but the benefit in the field far out weighs the escorting hassle,

[@tomwilliams8102]

Classic 8rx having no grip on hard ground with a little bit of moisture on top

[@philipedwards8492]

Great Video as always, I was wondering how did Ryan get that load of straw sheeted ? Did he have some help ?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

He sheeted it himself. We lifted the sheets on top with the manitou. I had to load that lorry so missed recording it. I’ll do his next load.

[@JohnRichardson-qu4de]

Hi ,, watching your video while it’s raining in East Yorkshire,,top down doing a good job ,,would 8 rx pull it better if you had front weight on .?...

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

May be would but we don’t have one! Just started here now.

[@Shaunalexander.99]

Why Rauch control unit & Kuhn spreader Andrew ??

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

No idea but Kuhn have been with them for over 30 years. It’s a brilliant spreader and control system. Years ahead of its time when it came out.

[@Af63_]

It may be worth trying a terrano FM or MT with wings as well as points?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We tried an MT a few years ago and we have a Fortis coming end of the week. They are similar to the FM

[@paulstorer6937]

👍

[@shatterline28]

Can assume all the millions Defra hoarded will be lost for good on top of the potential 100 million being withdrawn

[@Twidile1]

Have you still got your dads Track Marshall and Dowdeswell 5 furrow plough. think its time to go back in time .

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

No!! The reason we stopped ploughing was we needed 6 or 7 passes to get a seedbed, including the plough!

[@Twidile1]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Clay ground is still ploughed in Scotland . Two power harrows second with grain n fert then roll . then plenty of slug pellets .

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Depends how much clay? And silt causes issues too. Our worst is 55% clay and 30% silt, I’d like to know what the soils north of the border actually are in % terms,

[@Twidile1]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard Don't know %, but expect all variant's will be in the mix , dry springs can be a problem for seed to germinate.

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

@Twidile1 all % of clay differ how they work, knowing what % of each mineral would be much better for a comparison of workability.

[@nickdent8783]

Vaderstad looked great but far too complicated in my opinion.too much to go wrong with the wiring and controls.a mouse in that control box would create havoc.maybe I’m old school preferring pins to alter stuff but less to go wrong and less expense.it done a brilliant job though.how much was it as seen in film

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

About £100k I’m told!

[@alistairnelson3216]

Do you think the top down is an alternative / replacement to the solo as a very different approach to moving the ground. Looked to be making a good jib but boy did it look to getting some grief. Have you a got a Horsch Cultivator coming on demo like ox

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Yes, definite solo replacement in most conditions but some times dice are needed. Horsch Firtis coming later this week.

[@roberthoward3723]

Thanks for proper farming vlog. I’m reminded of my earlier days words from the “Good Book” “this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness. Ezekiel.16:49 KJV. Which goes to show British farmers have produced top quality food at an affordable price. Is the nation grateful?

[@Xceptionalist]

Baling straw costs a lot. Do you use contractors to do it? If so how much do you make on a the straw for a load and per tonne please?

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

Look at update 286. All about baling. I’ll go through the costs on another video.

[@WillHughes-gz2zl]

If you want to have a look at what labour is going to do for farming look at Wales they are hell bent on reducing the country’s food security . I was talking with Simon Weaving and he recommended a short disk with air seeder for cover crop going into maize stubble there is grants on it but not in wales just another stone on our back to make wales less productive

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I know, you really are up against it and then last week you see mp’s saying they back farmers on the NFU back British farming day. Rubbish. Steve Evans has sold up and got out. Sad.

[@WillHughes-gz2zl]

@@WardysWaffleAndrewWard I did see that on Garth Wyn’s channel don’t no him myself where is it going when the only option is to sell up it was gut wrenching when we got out of milking and put full focus on the poultry so I feel some of the pain

[@AndyRoo-i6e]

Yet again the big boys are looked after with the grant scheme, those that can afford it get a handout ,whilst the smaller guy who needs help can't get it because the grant is only on 6m or bigger. .

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

The grant has been on smaller drills as well, it changes from one year to the next.

[@markmeredith5521]

My Massey Ferguson 8120 steers itself.....not sure if it’s supposed to tho🥴

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

😂😂

[@Agri-Farm-UK]

What a waste of good productive land sad to see you putting birdseed in there Andrew but there we go making, all the effort and hours in farming to make farms look smart and productive now I drive down b roads for miles and see bare weedy landscapes. Sad times! Yiu can put a washer in and tighten that easy steer up it shouldn’t rattle that bad

[@drewjones66]

😂😂Welcome to reality. New Zealand farmers have not been given any payments from Govt or whatever since the late 1980s..If what you're doing isn't viable, internationally, do something different

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

I know you don’t receive payments. I’m not sure what rules and regs you have to follow but we have to do things for wildlife and environment. We also have other things which make life difficult to farm. Our costs have risen 40% since Covid and we have a lot of cheap imports come onto our shelves. The EA will fine us at the drop of a hat and don’t maintain waterways so flooding happens all the time now. I had a friend stay from NZ recently and will post his thoughts on uk farming soon.

[@robertsmith9810]

plough and let the frost do the work AH Blaspheme ,talking like that just showing your age old man lol, attended Bedfordshire Steam fair Disappointed as no steam ploughing changing times

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

We used to plough and we had to do so many passes after to level it up, that’s why we stopped.

[@richardfeatherby567]

What is your legume mix please

[@richardfeatherby567]

Thank you

[@WardysWaffleAndrewWard]

It’s in the video at the end.