There is a current of evolution in farming – as progress is made farmers, react to new pressures and implement new practices, yet there is at present a larger than normal wave that is building on the horizon, and it is a question of fundamental farming method.
This might sound dramatic, but rather than the normal additions to a farmers armoury, we are facing the subtraction from the system of many established inputs and even growing systems.
It has already been noted that instead of any great new ‘thing’ at Agritechnica, the show was marked by an emerging trend of new shallow cultivation implements that are intended to care for the topsoil without major disturbance to anything deeper than four-to-five inches.
Naturally, it is the tillage sector that is most affected, and all the major manufacturers were showing the first fruits of the rush to buy into companies that had been blamelessly serving the organic sector for decades.
Lemken is one such company, in 2018 it purchased the Dutch Steketee company, which had at the core of its business mechanical weeding and light cultivation.
Having had five years to integrate it into the range Lemken are now confidently stepping forward with a good idea of just what they intend to do with the new machines, an outlook that is not always as noticeable in its competitors.
Top down insight
This vision stems from the top with Nicola Lemken, representing the seventh generation of the family owning and running the business, declaring that her company is well prepared for this shift, and she also insists that it is in fact leading it.
However, it is not a case of suddenly focusing on what was once considered a fringe activity, abandoning the core customer base of conventional farmers to take up the cause of muck and magic.
Nicola is adamant that farming is a broad church, and she has no intention favouring any particular approach. Indeed, she believes that “Both types of farming are important, and there is a lot that either side can learn from the other.”
This sentiment is echoed by Dirk Hollinderbaumer, Continental Manager, who thinks of farming as being a “roofless workshop” and Lemken as a company that offers a wide range of tools to be used in within it.
Just as Nicola Lemken has no intention of prescribing farming methodology, Dirk is also of the opinion that it is not Lemken’s place to urge farmers to abandon the plough or continue with its use in the face of the reduction in herbicide choice.
“We provide only the tools”, he said. “It is the decision of farmers as to which they use and how they use them”. Like Nicola, he appears quite genuine when expressing this principle that appears to be central to the ethos of the company.
Diminishing role of herbicides
Despite the open ended approach to furnishing farmers with soil engaging equipment Dirk expresses concern over the vulnerability of pesticides to political whims and pressures.
Glyphosate, in particular, is one input that has become a political football, and he reminds us that although the EU may have extended its use for a further ten years, the German government does not share the commission’s enthusiasm, only allowing it to be used until the end of 2024.
Dirk fears that if it is banned, farmers will have little option but to return to the plough and all the work undertaken over recent years to reduce the amount of soil tillage will be undone as carefully nurtured soil profiles are inverted.
Another pet project of the EU that is also of concern to him is its drive for organic production. He notes that the premium for organic milk no longer exists in some areas and believes that the consumers general preference for cheap food will limit the the reach of more natural production.
Horses for courses
Yet Lemken will continue to back all horses in the tillage sector, responding to perceived future demand rather than preaching to its customer base.
This is clearly on display when visiting the company. The traditional box seed drill is still a firm favourite on the continent and they make up a large percentage of the approximately 5,500 drills produced each year.
At the same time, the company is looking forward to the official opening of the new Steketee factory in May of next year, although the brand name is set to disappear and new machines will be appearing in the Lemken livery.
One of the new products is what they refer to as a finger weeder. This is a very light tined harrow which maintains the same pressure on the soil whatever the angle of engagement.
The idea is by no means new, but up until now, similar machines have relied on cables attached to each tine for adjustment. Lemken, along with Steketee, has produced a version that utilises rams and rods, making it far easier to adjust from the cab.
Business is done by people
There is little value in beavering away at research and development if the result is not sold, and here Lemken echo the sentiment of the rest of the industry in welcoming back shows and events where customers have the opportunity to experience the product at first hand.
The company had a strong presence at Agritechnica and is confident that the investment it made will pay off as selling farm equipment involves a great deal more than just listing a machine’s attributes on a web page.
Getting out to meet customers and inviting them along to see where the machines are made can go a long way to reassuring them that the company has their interests at heart.
Lemken is happy to open its doors to its customers, and both Nicola Lemken and Dirk Hollinderbaumer give every reason to believe that farmers can be confident that whatever course they choose, or agriculture takes, the company will be there in support.