Agriculture - April Gill Moon Challenge

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This Challenge gave me a rather tough time as there is not a lot happening on the fields around here in April. Fields have mostly started to grow, so maybe some spraying but not a lot else. However, a few drives around the area gave us some ideas, as we could include animals, machinery, and the like. Anything, in fact, that said `agriculture`.

The first port of call was a field with five, (yes five!) tractors in it, mounding up potatoes. The patterns created were interesting, so to start, a few images of them in action.



I just love symmetry!


This time I capture four tractors in one frame


This field is possible of onions given the patterns - groups of four mounds


Plastic is omnipresent on farms. It is used to wrap silage, to cover crops, in tubing for irrigation and to transport feed and fertiliser. According to a 2010 report from Defra, 45,000 tonnes of agricultural plastics are produced every year in the UK. The biggest contributor to this problem, making up over 40% of the total agri-plastic market, are plastic sheets that are spread over the soil to serve as a sort of plastic mulch such as my image above. They suppress the growth of weeds, increase fertiliser uptake, regulate temperature and humidity, and protect plants and soil from bad weather. Researchers estimate that plastic mulch increases crop yields by a third. Somewhat worrying though when we are trying to reduce the overall use of plastics.

Next port of call was a local farmyard, but I personally couldn't find much of inspiration here. However, some images to contemplate.


A general view of the yard



This last one of the tractor tyres stacked up, might have some mileage perhaps? But nothing very ininspiational
Another avenue to explore was the world of animals. So, near to where we live is a farm which has diversified into a Farm Shop, Cafe, and a large children's animal trail. Worth a look perhaps? On this particular trail are some of the `newer` farm animals we see about these days.


This fellow, with his mates was wanting to be fed and they were not to be disappointed looking at the groups of children behind us!


Then we had traditional farm animals for this time of year - lambs



Some reasonable regular animals seen around and about these days - Llamas. What are they used for? In the UK, llamas are primarily recreational animals. Many are just well loved field pets being gentle, quiet, hardy and undemanding, but they are also bred and raised for trekking, cart pulling, animal facilitated therapy, companion animals and exhibition in shows.

Then some old farm machinery.

So, as for the challenge, I have some ideas, even if I do not actually use these images. However, I have not found a lot of inspiration in the subject at this time of year. Summer, with crops abounding and fields being cut and all the activity surrounding that, would certainly give more scope I believe. Plus, there would be a lot more animals in the fields. Never mind, it has been fun!


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