Clarkson’s Farm

[Tyre Smoke]

Lisa is listed as an Exec Producer on the show too.

No idea what that means, but her name is is the end credits.

[Scabutz]

Tyre Smoke said:

Lisa is listed as an Exec Producer on the show too.

No idea what that means, but her name is is the end credits.

Normally exec producer is someone who doesn't do much on the fil or show but puts up enough dosh to get their name on the credits.

[Dr Jekyll]

Scabutz said:

Normally exec producer is someone who doesn't do much on the fil or show but puts up enough dosh to get their name on the credits.

+1

Look up the executive producers on Chariots of Fire

[ajprice]

Tyre Smoke said:

Lisa is listed as an Exec Producer on the show too.

No idea what that means, but her name is is the end credits.

2 entries in IMDB. One for Clarkson's Farm, one for the Sealion Keeper in Fierce Creatures (1997 John Cleese film)

[Condi]

Evanivitch said:

Hedgerows are neither a requirement not are they limited to livestock farming. Simple fact is that hedgerows were in massive decline until subsidies were brought in to maintain them.

So spray a herbicide once every few years. Roundup? Or selective? Why would you be spraying a selective...

The idea that there are more living things on grassland is a line that's often pedalled out. There's not much living in scalped grass over winter. Or when foxes, rabbits, deer and badgers are being actively removed from the land.

I'm not pretending arable is any better, but this idea that grass fields are valuable wildlife habitats is a myth perpetuated by farmers.

Selective to remove docks, thistles, etc. You want grass, not weeds!

Arable has insecticides sprayed on regularly and is a monoculture. Grassland is a haven for insects, bugs, bees etc by comparison.

[CrutyRammers]

Condi said:

Selective to remove docks, thistles, etc. You want grass, not weeds!

Arable has insecticides sprayed on regularly and is a monoculture. Grassland is a haven for insects, bugs, bees etc by comparison.

Improved pasture is pretty poor for biodiversity. Might be better than other crops, I don't know, but as stated above, it's a deliberately created environment to grow just the stuff which livestock needs and nothing else.

[FiF]

How about certified organic pasture that's not had herbicide, pesticide nor fertiliser for, well, a decade or three.

[Evanivitch]

Condi said:

Evanivitch said:

Hedgerows are neither a requirement not are they limited to livestock farming. Simple fact is that hedgerows were in massive decline until subsidies were brought in to maintain them.

So spray a herbicide once every few years. Roundup? Or selective? Why would you be spraying a selective...

The idea that there are more living things on grassland is a line that's often pedalled out. There's not much living in scalped grass over winter. Or when foxes, rabbits, deer and badgers are being actively removed from the land.

I'm not pretending arable is any better, but this idea that grass fields are valuable wildlife habitats is a myth perpetuated by farmers.

Selective to remove docks, thistles, etc. You want grass, not weeds!

Arable has insecticides sprayed on regularly and is a monoculture. Grassland is a haven for insects, bugs, bees etc by comparison.

Of course you want grass, hence why you use selective, which is why I was responding to this comment.

DaveGrohl said:

5. Why do you assume grass fields are monoculture?
We have a small area that would be a rewilder's delight. No more life in there than the grass fields and hedges.

Again, heavily managed pasture is not a haven for wildlife, certainly not more so that an insect-pollinated crop, or a grain crop filled with small mammals for predators.

Neither examples of intensive farming are havens.

I'd love to know what bees/pollinators are feeding on in a grassland with a selective fertiliser. Field of wind blown pollinating grass. The lowest quality bee feed available...

Edited by Evanivitch on Friday 18th June 13:48

[Davey S2]

Just finished watching episode 1 and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Kaleb was great. Honest, very hard working and what you see is what you get. Loved his story about going to London once on an art trip but decided to stay on the coach

[DaveGrohl]

Evanivitch said:

Condi said:

Evanivitch said:

Hedgerows are neither a requirement not are they limited to livestock farming. Simple fact is that hedgerows were in massive decline until subsidies were brought in to maintain them.

So spray a herbicide once every few years. Roundup? Or selective? Why would you be spraying a selective...

The idea that there are more living things on grassland is a line that's often pedalled out. There's not much living in scalped grass over winter. Or when foxes, rabbits, deer and badgers are being actively removed from the land.

I'm not pretending arable is any better, but this idea that grass fields are valuable wildlife habitats is a myth perpetuated by farmers.

Selective to remove docks, thistles, etc. You want grass, not weeds!

Arable has insecticides sprayed on regularly and is a monoculture. Grassland is a haven for insects, bugs, bees etc by comparison.

Of course you want grass, hence why you use selective, which is why I was responding to this comment.

DaveGrohl said:

5. Why do you assume grass fields are monoculture?
We have a small area that would be a rewilder's delight. No more life in there than the grass fields and hedges.

Again, heavily managed pasture is not a haven for wildlife, certainly not more so that an insect-pollinated crop, or a grain crop filled with small mammals for predators.

Neither examples of intensive farming are havens.

I'd love to know what bees/pollinators are feeding on in a grassland with a selective fertiliser. Field of wind blown pollinating grass. The lowest quality bee feed available...

Edited by Evanivitch on Friday 18th June 13:48

You do know that pollination happens once a year for a very short time period right?
Apart from that you're obv an expert so you're right, I haven't a clue what I'm on about. I tried.

[Condi]

Evanivitch said:

Again, heavily managed pasture is not a haven for wildlife, certainly not more so that an insect-pollinated crop, or a grain crop filled with small mammals for predators.

Neither examples of intensive farming are havens.

I'd love to know what bees/pollinators are feeding on in a grassland with a selective fertiliser. Field of wind blown pollinating grass. The lowest quality bee feed available...

Pasture generally isnt "heavily managed", nowhere near to the same degree that arable land is. It's kept tidy, but especially in permanent pasture there are a whole host of other plants, weeds etc which grow in and amongst the grass.

I'm not sure where your agricultural expertise comes from but basics like mixing up herbicide and fertiliser suggests your experience isn't as great as some of the people you're arguing with.

[Evanivitch]

DaveGrohl said:

You do know that pollination happens once a year for a very short time period right?
Apart from that you're obv an expert so you're right, I haven't a clue what I'm on about. I tried.

Of course, farmers only grow one crop a year, September is the only harvest, like the good ol' days!

[Evanivitch]

Condi said:

Pasture generally isnt "heavily managed", nowhere near to the same degree that arable land is. It's kept tidy, but especially in permanent pasture there are a whole host of other plants, weeds etc which grow in and amongst the grass.

I'm not sure where your agricultural expertise comes from but basics like mixing up herbicide and fertiliser suggests your experience isn't as great as some of the people you're arguing with.

A minor brain fart

So to get it straight, you're using selective weedkillers because you want grass, and not weeds, but there's a whole host of other plants, weeds growing amongst the grass. Contradiction much?

I've grown up amongst farms and farmers. I'm not a farmer. Possibly why I don't swallow the utter rubbish most farmers trot out time and time again.

[MikeDB1]

Evanivitch said:

Condi said:

Pasture generally isnt "heavily managed", nowhere near to the same degree that arable land is. It's kept tidy, but especially in permanent pasture there are a whole host of other plants, weeds etc which grow in and amongst the grass.

I'm not sure where your agricultural expertise comes from but basics like mixing up herbicide and fertiliser suggests your experience isn't as great as some of the people you're arguing with.

A minor brain fart

So to get it straight, you're using selective weedkillers because you want grass, and not weeds, but there's a whole host of other plants, weeds growing amongst the grass. Contradiction much?

I've grown up amongst farms and farmers. I'm not a farmer. Possibly why I don't swallow the utter rubbish most farmers trot out time and time again.

I do own a farm, and most fields are pasture for sheep and a few horses. There are many flowers and weeds in amongst the grass, especially at this time of year, and that's fine. But when certain weeds appear - in our case usually ragwort - it's immediately out with the selective weedkiller as that stuff is life-threatening to animals. They will avoid it themselves when grazing, but if it gets mixed in with a crop of hay that's bad news. Also uncontrolled ragwort quickly spreads to neighbouring farms and makes you highly unpopular to say the least.

[Evanivitch]

MikeDB1 said:

I do own a farm, and most fields are pasture for sheep and a few horses. There are many flowers and weeds in amongst the grass, especially at this time of year, and that's fine. But when certain weeds appear - in our case usually ragwort - it's immediately out with the selective weedkiller as that stuff is life-threatening to animals. They will avoid it themselves when grazing, but if it gets mixed in with a crop of hay that's bad news. Also uncontrolled ragwort quickly spreads to neighbouring farms and makes you highly unpopular to say the least.

South Wales is covered in Knotweed (fields covered near my parents) and Himalayan balsam (hedges thick with it near where I live).

I fully understand there's a need to use weedkillers.

[Condi]

Evanivitch said:

A minor brain fart

So to get it straight, you're using selective weedkillers because you want grass, and not weeds, but there's a whole host of other plants, weeds growing amongst the grass. Contradiction much?

I've grown up amongst farms and farmers. I'm not a farmer. Possibly why I don't swallow the utter rubbish most farmers trot out time and time again.

You're not a farmer, no, and are in a very poor position to contradict those who are or have been.

Pasture, especially permanent pasture has a huge number of different plants in among the grass and under and within hedgerows. It also has a very high insect population which supports all the animals up the chain - birds, bigger insects etc.

Selective weedkiller is used occasionally to control particular species, but by its very nature it doesn't kill most of the other plants. A weedkiller which is very good at controlling docks and thistles will leave many many species of plant (including other "weeds" and grasses) alone due to their mode of action.

You can call it "utter rubbish", although most people would call it "facts".

[CrutyRammers]

FiF said:

How about certified organic pasture that's not had herbicide, pesticide nor fertiliser for, well, a decade or three.

Probably wouldn't count as "improved" AIUI.

[jon-yprpe]

Er. Anyone else suddenly really fancy a facelift 07-10 L322 Rangie as a result of watching?

[Tycho]

farmeryellow said:

Chewing the fat with me old mate Gerald

Edited by farmeryellow on Saturday 12th June 16:59

I hope they are safety slippers with all those heavy stones around.

[outnumbered]

I was in two minds whether to watch this, as I couldn't stand more than a few minutes of Grand Tour style Clarkson ttting about on a farm. Only seen the first one so far, but it was good on the whole, and I'll definitely watch some more. I recognised the vintage tractor emporium and owner from Shed&Buried. Plenty of Cotswolds-based viewing available these days, with Harry M, Clarkson and Henry Cole.