Firm ground deters ploughs

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The annual Romney Marsh Ploughing and Cultivation Society (RMPCS) ploughing competition and Dog Show took place at White House Farm, Brookland last Sunday, but unfortunately, the firm ground and the price of diesel combined to deter many of the regular competitors.

Too firm to plough – regulars ‘Arthur’ and ‘Alfie’ opt for a chain harrow demonstration instead.

In the shadow of Little Cheyne Court Wind Farm, some glorious machines of bygone eras proudly displayed that age certainly doesn’t rust or weary them, and their loving owners and drivers showed off skills that have passed from generation to generation of farmers and cultivators.

Good ploughing effectively inverts the soil, controls weeds, improves drainage, aerates the soil and improves soil structure. The ability to plough a straight and even furrow has been highly prized since mankind first started tilling the land and remains as highly valued today as ever.

“It is what it is”. Jamie Croft commenting on the firm ground as he contests his first trailer ploughing class.

And these skills were certainly put to the test as competitors had to contend with the results of our long, dry summer. “It is what it is,” said Jamie Croft from Robertsbridge, undertaking his first match in a trailer ploughing class. “The ground isn’t going to get any easier anytime soon, but it’s nice to get out,” he added.

For Tom Fellows from Westfield, it wasn’t just the ground causing a few problems. “My Dad has a misbehaving tractor,” explained son Stanley, proudly sitting in the driving seat as Dad tackled the errant vehicle.

Stanley Fellows, in the driving seat of father Tom’s “misbehaving tractor.”

For many, it’s a family day out. They come from far and wide. Essex to Hastings, Sittingbourne to Sandwich. And for many, it’s a generational excursion. Mums, dads, sons and daughters, grandparents and grandchildren.

In many ways, it’s what farming has always been about. Family. At the end of the day, East Guldeford farmer Alan Pilcher received not just the Clifton-Holt Cup for the best work done by a local ploughman, but an Honorary Lifetime Membership Award, reflecting not just his own contribution and commitment to the RMPCS, but that of his father before him.

East Guldeford farmer, Alan Pilcher, receives an Honorary Membership of the RMPCS

Across the country, as ploughing matches take place this autumn, you’ll find professional farmers rubbing shoulders with hobby farmers and vintage vehicle enthusiasts, contesting classes with a range of machinery that tracks a journey through farming history, watched by their families. Long may it continue.

Image Credits: Chris Lawson .

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