The organisers of the annual British National Ploughing Championships & Country Festival are delighted that the event will be returning to Lincolnshire this year. They have been invited back to the county by Beeswax Dyson Farming who will host this premier event on their land at Nocton, just south of Lincoln on the weekend of 12th and 13th October.
The Championships have a long and proud history and are delighted to be an official partner of the 2019 Cereals event this year. In its 69 years, this will be only the sixth time the event has been held in Lincolnshire and it is proving to be as popular as ever as applications are flooding in for both trade exhibitors/demonstrators and ploughing entries from competitors from all parts of Great Britain.
As agriculture has changed over the years, the plough has changed very little. It has been adapted for horses, for steam engines, for the ever evolving tractor and has grown from a one furrow plough to huge multi-furrows but the mouldboard which turns the soil remains. Many farmers have moved away from ploughing over the years, preferring systems using less labour and disturbing the soil less but with the spread of weeds such as black grass, ploughing is proving to be one method of reducing it and having a good ploughman on the farm can be an advantage.
Good ploughmen – and women – can be seen at the British National Ploughing Championships, trying to be the best in their field – literally! Up to 250 of the top competitors will be showing their skills with the plough and vintage tractors, modern tractors or magnificent heavy horses. They will be striving to win the championship in their section along with the title of Supreme Champion, and some will get the chance to travel abroad to represent their country at next year’s World Ploughing Contest or European Ploughing Championships.
Alongside the ploughing competitions, there will be a wide variety of trade stands selling everything you might need on the farm, from a tractor or trailer, fertiliser or fuel, to a light or a lock; and manufacturers and dealers also have the opportunity to demonstrate in the field the tractors and machinery they have for sale. There will also be a vast array of shopping stalls with all sorts of homeware, giftware or country wear and country crafts with a great range from small retailers.
Visitors to the event will also be able to see steam ploughing engines and a fantastic vintage and heritage area with the theme “From Horse to Horse Power” with exhibits from days gone past when farming went at a much slower pace right up to the most up to date machinery available today.
Sue Frith, Chief Executive of the organisers, the Society of Ploughmen, said “The interest and enthusiasm we have is absolutely fantastic. We are a registered charity and have some great volunteers in Lincolnshire who can’t wait to show the rest of the country what they have to offer. It’s clearly a good choice to bring the event back here and we are very grateful to Beeswax Dyson Farming for providing such an excellent site”.
Trade stands, demonstrations, shopping and crafts can still be booked until July and there are also sponsorship opportunities available for both small companies or market leaders. Main sponsors this year are Bridgestone/Firestone and Maxam Tyres.
Further information can be found on www.ploughmen.co.uk or from the Society of Ploughmen on 01302 852469 and you can follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
