A Year Farming With John Deere - Part One

This is the first of two DVD programmes following a year with contract farming operation Reed Agriculture. Based in North Suffolk, the business covers 3000 acres and uses almost exclusively John Deere machinery.

Interviews and narration describe more than 100 sequences over the course of the two programmes. Particular emphasis is placed on showing the impressive array of modern equipment used, with nearly 60 machines featured over both discs, including more than 40 tractors with examples from most of the popular John Deere ranges produced during the past 10 years.

The soil types are very variable, ranging from light sand to heavy clay, and consequently a wide variety of crops are grown including wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sugar beet, peas, grass, parsley, onions and potatoes.

Part One covers the period January to May, beginning with the harvesting of the remainder of last year’s sugar beet. A variety of cultivations on the light land are followed by the drilling of spring sown crops. Preparations for onion sets and potatoes are shown in detail, together with the planting operation. Crop care is next, with spraying, fertilising and irrigation the order of the day.

Running time 100 mins