Farm cost cutting innovations - home page

We focus on ingenious machinery built and adapted in farm workshops, cost-cutting solutions contributed by working farmers who know what's needed and works best. Practical Farm IDEAS magazine solves common farming problems across the full spread of agriculture: arable and grassland; livestock; horticulture... and farms of every size.

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The current issue: Summer 2008

In each issue of Farm IDEAS:  * Made it Myself - machines and tools developed in farm workshops * College creations - projects made by agri students in college and school * Farm Walk - feature farm with numerous ideas to raise performance * Financial Focus - improving financial management and business performance * Farm World - technology and world wide agri developments   The only farming publication in the UK to have no advertisements. SEE CONTENTS OF THIS ISSUE

Making farming more profitable with Farm IDEAS Vol 17 - 2 Four examples from this issue: 1. Problem: To adjust the deflector on the straw chopper you have to get off the tractor. Takes time and muck gets into the cab off your boots     Solution: Make in-cab electric controls using commonly found parts from a scrap car or 4x4. Adjust the machine while you drive 2. Problem:  spreading slug pellets with an ATV is cold and costly     Solution: mount the spinner on the back door of a lightweight 4x4 and get  a cab, heater, windscreen 3. Problem: There are thieves around stealing farm diesel     Solution: The summary in this issue shows how a number of farmers have tackled the problem with lock guards and other security measures 4. Problem: The bale spike pulls the centres when they're in transit     Solution: Change the geometry of the 3-pt attachment so the bale is tilted back so the weight is resting on the backplate and not the tine   There are 48 'Made it Myself' projects in the current issue of Practical Farm Ideas

Page modified: Aug 13, 2008

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Latest News

August 08, 2008 Practical actions livestock farmers can take to reduce Bluetongue risk After Foot and Mouth and BSE, and now Bluetongue, UK livestock farmers are suffering from disease fatigue. Government advice on Bluetongue is unspecific, vague and seems to have been written by a lawyer. Practical Farm IDEAS suggests farmers control insects around livestock, and there's no better way than using the home made scratcher / applicator on pg 17 of Vol 17 - 1.  Being 'midge aware' seems a sensible while the threat remains... read more.