Farmer Focus: Cereals had wow factor for this Welsh hill farmer

The closest I usually get to arable is our annual wholecrop harvest or complaining about the price of straw.

But I was drawn to attend the Cereals event at Diddly Squat to visit the farm of a popular TV show. It was sensational. I would go as far as to say it is the best show I have ever attended.

See also: Managing soils to withstand wet winters and dry summers

About the author

Joe Mault

Livestock Farmer Focus writer

Joe Mault and his family run 850 commercial ewes across 155ha near Corwen, Denbighshire. The farm produces Beltex and Charollais prime lambs and rears 100 dairy heifers from six months to calving on contract. Joe also works at a local college.

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As I walked through the entrance to the site, I remember saying out loud, “Wow!” What hit me first was the grass beautifully mown like a football pitch, with perfectly grown trial plots dotted around.

As I walked across the site, the news of a mud bath (I went on the first day) was not true, apart from smaller areas of heavy traffic.

I talked to a number of different exhibitors, all with the patience to explain some probably very obvious stuff to an arable farmer, but less obvious to a Welsh hill farmer.

One exhibit I found very interesting was the soil pit dug to show the soil profile of the farm. I was astonished by the lack of soil depth and the rocky nature of the subsoil.

For a moment, it made me think we could combine on our hill farm, before reality set in. Again, the exhibitors were only too happy to explain the soil profile and how the worm activity is crucial for healthy soils.

We also saw some amazing machinery. It was far too big to fit through our field gates, but the technology available was mind-boggling.

There were a lot of drones on show, and I think there will be many benefits to using these in the future. That said, I did sense that the industry is waiting for regulations to catch up with what is possible, as drones are not allowed to spray glyphosate, for example.

I was fascinated by the use of artificial intelligence in machinery like the Rumex AI spot sprayer, which scans weeds with a camera and applies only what is needed – very clever.

I went to the show with little expectation, but it’s all I have talked about since. I loved the fact the show was just for farmers and that everyone exhibiting was so friendly and happy to share their knowledge.

I must congratulate the organisers on what was an excellent event that inspired, I’m sure, a number of fellow farmers.