On the 7 September 2022, around 80 guests gathered at Springhill Barn near Pershore in Worcestershire to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Trust set up in the memory of Douglas Bomford, the driving force behind the invention of many well-known agricultural products still in common use today.

The Trust’s aim is to support the future education, training and research in the design, production and application of agricultural machinery and equipment.

The Trust also used the occasion to announce that its first patron is to be Dr David Llewellyn CBE, the former Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University.

This podcast contains edited extracts from the speakers at the event. They were:

(01:13) Jonathan Bomford (Trustee)

(08:35) Nick August (Trustee/Chair)

(17:02) Dr Paul Miller (Trustee)

(27:42) Dr Nick Tillet (Tillet and Hague Technology Ltd)

(31:44) Professor Jane Rickson (Cranfield University)

(35:02) Dr Paula Misiewicz (Harper Adams University)

(37:46) Dr David Llewellyn (Patron)

Full details of the event, the programme, presentations and testimonials are available on the DBT 50th Anniversary website

The large scale growing and harvesting of natural turf only really began in the 1980/90s, but with the advent of high capacity machinery is now a year-round operation by specialist growers to meet an ever-growing demand from landscapers, parks, sports grounds and home owners.

Chris talks to Stephen Edwards, who along with his twin brother Alex, runs InTurf, one of the UK's largest and longest established suppliers of natural grass.

They discuss the turf growing cycle, the logistics and timeliness of the operation, irrigation, the ban on exporting turf to Europe since Brexit - and of course the fake (plastic) grass versus natural grass debate.

Episode is 43 minutes

LINKS

InTurf

Turfgrass Growers Association (TGA)

The annual Doe Show staged by the multi-branch dealership Ernest Doe Ltd has been held every year since 1960.

The 2020 show, always held during the first week of February, was staged a few weeks before the Government announced a complete lockdown due to the spreading pandemic.

Determined to keep the show on the road, Doe sales director Graham Parker and his team started to make plans for the 2021 show - whatever the ever-changing restrictions.

Graham describes how they put together a very different event in 2021, and still had to juggle Plan A, Plan B, Plan C for the February 2022 show as a second wave of Covid arrived, making a last-minute decision on the show format inevitable.

Graham describes changing plans, sleepless nights, new technology and visitor feedback

Ernest Doe website

For the third in this series of Agri-Turf Talks, a panel drawn from across the agri-turf sector discuss the issues they face recruiting new talent into the industry. The panel is:

Richard Charles: After Sales Customer Care and Training Manager, UK and Ireland AGCO Corporation

Simon Holmes : Group Service Manager Agriculture and Construction T H WHITE Group

Jeremy Gibbs: Farmer and Founder of Forces Farming

David Kirschner: Independent Industry Consultant

Chris Biddle: Inside Agri-Turf Host

Amongst the issues covered are the role of recruitment agencies, apprenticeships, training, the visibility of the industry to outsiders and much more.

LINKS

Landbased Engineering Careers

AGCO Academy Training Centre

Forces Farming

T H White Group

A familiar sight at cricket grounds around the world, the Auto-Roller manufactured by Autoguide Equipment Ltd, reached its century in 2021.

Hand-built by craftsmen at the company's Wiltshire factory, the Auto-Roller is the choice of many leading groundsmen at Test and County grounds for the upkeep and preparation of their playing surface.

(0:41) The podcast traces the development of turf machinery used in cricket, starting with the invention of the lawnmower (as we know it) in 1832.

(05:20) Host Chris Biddle finds out more about the history of the Auto-Roller from Richard Robinson, the founder of Autoguide, and discovers more about the lengths the company goes to ensure comfort, ease of use and reliability.

(15:40) Chris talks winter rolling regimes with Auto-Roller user Gary Barwell, head groundsman at Edgbaston, home of County Champions Warwickshire CCC and famous Test Match venue. Gary also talks about the scrutiny of the pitch during a game, whether the captains often ask for his advice and why he feels that a variation in pitches around the country gives the game energy and spectator appeal.

PODCAST IS PRODUCED ON BEHALF OF AUTOGUIDE EQUIPMENT LTD

Further information: Auto-Roller website