Positive ideas from farmers who are thinking ahead are much needed today. This issue #100, like the 99 which preceded it, is based on great practical workshop innovations, and includes ‘can-do’ advice. Every farmer must read the section on building and improving soil, while the Brexit decision and the fragile state of the UK economy both create threats to the farm business which we analyse and on which we give advice. This magazine carries no advertising and has no sponsors.

Reducing the soil damage from maize

* Reduces soil run-off and nutrient leaching
* Early bite from what would be bare field
* Contractor’s opportunity

Parade trailer built for school use

Financial Focus

Getting a handle on post-Brexit farm finance - Oliver McEntyre, National Agricultural Strategy Director of Barclays Bank provides some really useful advice for farmers.
Farm debt and agri interest rates - examines the latest national figures for farm income and looks at the economic forecasts for interest rates: critical operating figures for many farm businesses.

Farm Show: farm-born innovations from the USA

Farm Show editor Mark Newhall shares some great ideas from his latest issue. The two editors go back 25 years and in that time have each published thousands of creative cost-cutting ideas for their respective readers. Farm Show and Practical Farm Ideas share much in common, including a policy of zero advertising. Both have no reliance on the farm supply trade.

* Road and lane grading bar fits on digger arm
* Basic ‘G-Style’ tractor designed for third world application
* Cover crop seeder mounted on fore-loader
* Special bottom unloading hopper puts logs gently into pick-up

* Scrap self-propelled sprayer used for cover crop seeding

Soil+ Cover Cropping International

* Inter-row grass drill for maize

More Made it Myself projects

* Timber built silage nudgers.
• No danger of tyre wires breaking and getting in feed
• Nudges two or one side

* the effects of China blocking US DDGS sales puts downward pressure on prices.