Hundreds of farmers watched the latest cultivation technology in action as a major agricultural machine show made its post-lockdown comeback.
The Norfolk Farm Machinery Club (Normac) demonstration day showcased cutting-edge new equipment and techniques in a field near Downham Market.
Major manufacturers had booked 49 working plots on the 200-acre site, giving eager farmers a long-awaited chance to kick the tyres and scrutinise the performance of machines at work on typical Norfolk soils.
The biennial event was cancelled during the 2020 lockdown, so this was the first show for three years.
During that time, discussions about soil health and "regenerative agriculture" have risen up the agenda, as the government moves away from EU subsidies to a system of environmental payments for farmers.
Chris Thomas, county organiser for Normac, said that had prompted a greater interest in machines which cultivated with less soil disturbance, rather that the traditional plough.
"It is absolutely lovely to be back, to chat to people again, catch up with the trade and all the gossip of what's been happening," he said.
"There is more and more interest now in regenerative agriculture and soil health has become a very important buzzword.
"People are looking for machinery that gives them what they want in that area. We are looking at different sorts of cultivation and [seed] drills that only cultivate the ground where the seed has to go, and leaves a strip left untouched, that conserves moisture, for instance, and allows space for the worms to develop.
"It is rather government-led - all these new regulations coming in are all pointing to conservation and soil health, so it is being generated from high office as much as anything else these days.
"We have got manufacturers from UK and abroad, and a few chief executives looking at their own products and how they compare to others. So we've got some quite important people wandering around here today."
Mr Thomas said the attendance was lower than previous years, as the sunny weather meant many farmers were still working hard to complete their harvest after the delays of a damp summer.
Among the exhibitors was Ben Turner, dealer principal at Norwich-based machinery dealer Ben Burgess.
He agreed that farmers were seeking ways to both improve their efficiency and minimise their environmental impact.
"Whether that springs from a long-term objective to move towards a regenerative approach, or from short-term cost-pressures I think that there is a lot of looking in that direction," he said.
"It is not just an emotive decision any more, it is a calculated business decision as to what is cost-effective for their farm and their farming practice."
The field was supplied by farming company Albanwise, whose chief executive Tom Dye was happy to host a showcase of technologies to improve the efficiency and sustainability of agriculture.
"It is fantastic, and it is multi-layered this year because it is the first time people have really been able to get out and see people at an event of this sort of scale," he said.
"Technology is developing all the time in agriculture and it is good to see some examples of new technologies coming through.
"For us, we are very focused on the economic output of the crop annually, but we have got our own in-house environmental team and we are very much more about sustainability and how we are improving soil health and the landscape as a whole.
"There are great opportunities in that world, and I also think the economics of the job are going to get tougher over the next few years with the abolition of BPS [the Basic Payment Scheme subsidy being phased out after Brexit].
"Although there will be opportunities for environmental schemes to capture some of that money back, it will be as a substitute for arable land, not getting a payment for owning a farm - which is fine, but people are having to find a way of doing the job a little cheaper."
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