Recently in Machinery Category

We heard about the German tractor clocked doing nearly 80mph, and now there have been complaints about tractors speeding in East Anglia.

Matthew Naylor has once again been making digs on his blog about the often whimsical content of Tim's blog.

In Tim's absence I thought I'd prove to ol' Gob of the Wash that Field Day can carry sensible content about rural life. And here it is.

Lest you think I've got too soft and cuddly after that business with the waterskiing squirrels, the chicken on horseback and the giant Christmas pudding, here's some proper boys stuff.

Tractors. Big tractors. And lots of them. 

Like I say, you learn something every day.

It might be that bread can be worth £15 a loaf or that potatoes can be purple.

But today it's this: that the man who invented dieseal was called Rudolph Diesel. Don't know why, but I find that quite interesting...

I suppose this is what comes of knowing people who make a living writing about farm machinery. In the same way that if you know people who write about poultry, you end up with a Frizzle cock...

Another video clip. This time, a bit more sensible that this morning's offerings. A plougman with big ambitions. I like the BBC's headline: The X Tractor.

Need I say more!

Another one for machinery buffs. That New Holland combine harvester I mentioned the other day has set a new record for cutting wheat.

Apologies if you find this boring - but there are men out there for whom photos of big shiny farm machines are akin to pornography.

Now I know Field Day readers sometimes tell me they want more kit mentioned on here - so here, if you like your machinery, are details of the world's biggest combine harvester.

I very much doubt if it was this model that The Wurzels were singing about.

I've been one of the judges in the 'Young Farmer of the Year' category Farmers Weekly Awards.

It's always one of the most hotly contested categories (there are 14 this year) and it's the one I was most hoping I'd be involved with because, without getting all misty-eyed about this, it's positively inspiring.

Anyone who's 35 or under was eligible to enter - and winning (in fact, even getting in the top three) is a huge achievement.

It's been a long process. Firstly, there was task of sifting through every submission as we whittled down the entries to an initial longlist.

Three judges have been involved throughout: myself; the deputy principal at the Royal Agricultural College, Professor Paul Davies; and last year's winner, Lancashire farmer Phil Halhead, who also runs Norbreck Genetics.  We've been supported by Gary Henly representing the category sponsor Massey Ferguson.

Inevitably, we had slightly different approaches - but ultimately we all wanted the same thing: a progressive, talented farmer who was already making a real difference to a business. Someone, in other words, who had the potential to become (if they weren't already) one of the best farmers in their sector.

Cue lots of reading, lots of deliberation and lots of emails and phone calls between judges. We had some very impressive entries and eventually picked our best three. So, we had our shortlist.

We then embarked on a massive road (and air) trip, to see our trio. We've been to West Sussex, North Yorkshire and Perthshire and visited three very different businesses. We've spend time in farm offices, cattle sheds, potato storage houses, arable fields...  We had hours of discussion in hotel bars and dining rooms. It's a cliche - but reaching a decision was agony. All three deserved to win - but ultimately (as they say at the Oscars and at the Booker) a competition can have only one winner.

We discussed it, agreed on some things, disagreed on others, discussed it a bit more, slept on it, had more discussion and found a consensus with which we were all happy. We had a winner.

Students on the first year national diploma in land-based technology at Wiltshire College recently stripped and transformed a 1960 Massey Ferguson 35 tractor in just 22 hours.

Starting at 6am, staff and students got to work dismantling the vintage tractor donated by David Keene of Henley-on-Thames.

Something else for those who are wanting something earthy and manly after my foray into poetry. News and pictures of shiny big machines at the Grassland and Muck Event 2008. Such a glamorous-sounding gig!

Here's something I bet you didn't know. That guy off the tv show The Apprentice, Nick Hewer (one of Alan Sugar's henchmen!) collects vintage tractors.

I often get sent photos of weddings involving farm machinery!

This one came from proud mum Amanda Birdsall, whose daughter Amy recently got married to Andrew Platt. He arrived on this.

A friend of mine was given the chance to win a tractor in his local offy at the weekend.

Around 25 vintage and classic tractors gathered recently at Broughton Hall near Skipton for a tractor road run organized by local tractor enthusiast, Sam Chapman.

Obviously getting married on a tractor is a bit passe these days.

Recent newlyweds Caroline and Charlie Wellon left church on a forage harvester (machinery buffs will recognise it as a New Holland FR9050).

You can race anything these days.

After those crazy Dutch and their racing combines, now I learn of the British Lawn Mower Racing Grand Prix which happened over the weekend.

Lewis Hamilton, watch out...

You'll have to excuse me if I sound bitter at any point in this blog post.

If I do, it's probably because I am. Hugely. Anyway, one of the most famous blogs around at the moment is Wife in the North.

You may have heard of it - it chronicles Judith O'Reilly's ups and downs after moving from London to Northumberland and has even won her a £70,000 book deal, according to the national press. (Cue general, probably unjustified bitterness at this point: it must be hype, it can't be any good, jumping on the "downsizing bandwagon etc etc.)