3.00pm - Sunday 23rd August 2026 19,846
After weeks of waiting, drilling finally begins. In this episode the first oilseed rape goes into the ground, and our two new 18 metre drills get to work, covering an astonishing 500 acres a day, a scale that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. We also get stuck into some brilliant home grown innovation, fitting RTK auto steer, section control and variable rate onto a Toyota Hilux using open source software and a worldwide community of tinkerers, and begin moving the whole business onto new farm management software inspired by what we saw in Brazil.
The heart of this episode, though, belongs to James's father, who sits down to tell the story of the legendary drought of 1976, the year James was born. Fifty years on from a harvest he never forgot, he compares then and now, from the crops and the yields to machinery that has been transformed almost beyond recognition.
We finish with some welcome news as the grain market finally starts to move, and an honest word on a poor year and the decisions it is driving. From the first seed in the ground to a remarkable look back in time, this is another look behind the scenes of a modern farming business.
For those interested in our new merchandise: https://pxfarms.myshopify.com/
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:18 The second drill arrives, cultivation nears the end
2:34 Auto steer on a Toyota Hilux
4:30 A homemade variable rate and section control
7:14 The story behind the DIY tech
13:04 Tom's verdict, and a ride in the Hilux
18:37 A tour of the yard and the new 18m drill
20:28 The grain store and the ADR tyres
21:48 Moving to Crop Wise farm software
24:13 Satellite data and the trial pit damage
26:44 Day one of drilling the rape
27:31 My father on the drought of 1976
32:24 How 1976 compares to 2026
35:58 The 18m drills flying at 500 acres a day
39:39 A sad reflection on the yield
40:35 The fertiliser yard drainage
42:02 The market turns up, and the rotation ahead
P.X. Farms is proudly supported by:
Hectare - https://www.wearehectare.com
Spaldings - https://spaldings.co.uk
Agrii - https://www.agrii.co.uk
Anglia Farmers - https://af.farm
Charles and Dean - https://www.charlesanddean.com/px-farms
Everywhen - https://www.everywhen.co.uk
Syngenta - https://www.syngenta.co.uk
Fendt - https://www.fendt.com/uk/
RTKFNet - https://www.rtkf.net
Chavereys - https://chavereys.co.uk
Horsch - https://www.horsch.com/en/home
Lodi - https://www.lodi-uk.com
S&A Buildings - https://www.s-and-a.co.uk
All views expressed in this video are our own and do not reflect those of our sponsors.
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Contact:
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