Should I be growing Miscanthus for electricity production instead of growing food?
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- čas přidán 26. 06. 2021
- The area of Miscanthus Grass is growing fast in the UK (to be used as a carbon neutral fuel for power stations) and I had Terravesta on the farm recently to discuss whether I should be growing it on Harry's Farm. In this video I also explain why the cattle keep escaping and how to make round bale silage.
I've been watching Clarkson and his farm but Harry is the original OG!
Jeremy proberbly got the idea from watching this channel.
@jason huntley not really, he showed what the real world is in farming through the season, especially the bloody politics and the bureaucracy in farming, that’s enough to put any one off!
@@WayneWilliams-gu3nx Their farms are also only about 10 miles from each other.
@jason huntley l agree Harry is a great bloke, he also like Clarkson has a lubricative sideline which does help them actually stay in agriculture, it’s bloody tough though on your own.
They are incomparable imo
Harry, overall not a positive experience growing miscanthus in Ireland. The power company specified a moisture % that was very difficult to achieve. Some farmers tried drying it loose.
Locally to us the power station tried burning miscanthus for a year or two but then realised that the sulphuric acid generated in the burning of miscanthus was eroding the boilers. They stopped taking miscanthus leaving farmers with tons of the stuff. Instead they burned coconut husks from south America. Couldn't make this stuff up.
All this carbon stuff, it reminds me of the old practice of buying indulgences from the Church. Yes, I've sinned, but I can buy my way out of it. So much money being spent on stopping something rather dubious, why not look at adapting to any effects of increased CO2? Not all change is all bad, there are opportunities to be had.
@@3ducs Spot on! It’s junk science.
jesus christ 😂burning coconut husk imported from south america...that is next level backwards
@@broadsword6650 Growing Miscanthus for electricity production? I always thought the primary function of farming was food production!
It must give off sulphur dioxide, which then oxidises and takes on a molecule of water- the standard acid rain reaction. How the fk did the stuff get passed for combustion, when diesel fuel has to have the sulphur taken out of it, before you can use it as fuel?
Hi Harry, as commented below I’ve been watching Jeremy and the first class PR job he has inadvertently done for the farming community, as neighbours I firmly believe you need to get together and work on bringing the truth to the nation on the real state of farming and the massive untruths pedalled by the media. From someone brought up in a village of farming community thanks for your informative and incitfull series
I can't see Harry getting involved with JC's slapstick buffooning around the place farming style...
@@johnsayer116 I can, what a pairing that would be. Finally a platform to get the true facts about farming instead of lies peddled BY MSM. Clarkson would introduce Harry to a wider range of viewers to hear what real world farmers do and all the government bullshit they have to endure....
@@peppemberton9948 Great idea, and they both have a passion for cars!
They're chalk and cheese. Harry is the real deal, both for cars and farms!
"Don't knock my wall down - I can't understand Gerald"
strand of horse tape across the corner will stop the cattle from taking a short cut .........
Alternative click-bait title "Out of control hay bail nearly killed me!" Top vid as always Harry.
Harry,
please do more on grass beef production, I think we are being hood winked by the green vegan brigade, Peter.
I just suggested exactly the same, Money will be the great driver here I am afraid like most things sadly.
@@WilliamStevens007 Billy, yes we need to look at old fashioned beef production, carbon neutral, have a look at Tom Pemberton, they produce beef from the dairy herd from grass, to sell in their shop, is that not natural, no imported feeds, not battery beef.
@@peterwardle572 30 years ago when I was on the farm all our bull calves or bullocks I should say were reared for beef. Heifers stayed for future milkers. All grass forage was grown on the farm and non of this high yielding keep em indoors marlarky either.
Those vegans are willing to pay big bucks for fancy salad greens and the like. That's how people are making small farms profitable here in the US.
Obviously, esp the fake meat industry, giant money to be made just like the pufa oils, grazing is essential for the planet
This has all the hallmarks of an ecological issue when this stuff "escapes' and is everywhere like Japanese Knotweed.
Just 'Googled' that. Seems that it is quite difficult to remove and stop from spreading; seeds and rhizomes.
Growing Miscanthus for electricity production? I always thought the primary function of farming was food production!
@@CanadairCL44 Factory food in the future, lab grown meat, all the Factory food will be substandard all for the 'one governments' profits. All the farmland will be growing fuel for the power grid, while the media babble on about the great success of the green revolution as long as we keep digging deep into our pocketses.
miscanthus is not as invasive , shallow roots.. it is the opposite of plants like bamboo.
@@mramg6038 Yea I used to believe our lives would be like the Jetsons, flying cars 100% leisure time, don't by the hype.
So here we are protecting the green belt.
We are told that the UK import 40% of our food.
But we are growing crops to burn in power stations and erecting solar panels in fields.
All makes sense?
Err, no. I can't understand what this government has against Natural Gas.
We grow enough food in volume and calories to feed the nation. The problem is we don’t grow what we eat or eat what we grow.
Green belt exists to inflate brownfield land values...soon as the right development comes along with the right bung it's all forgotten about.🤫
Clarksons farm was good, but it’s not quite Harry’s farm. Far more detail and knowledge from Harry
Clarkson is 5 years old
Agree, I always look forward to Harry’s vids
Clarkson's farm is primarily a film prop.
Yeah its two completely different things. Clarksons Farm is great Television but not a vlog esque like yt
Harry would be interested to know what you think of Clarksons farm. Round the cattle reminded me of that. Are you mates? Presumably been sharing some notes?! Love your videos and this content. Cars and Farms are a great combo!
I have been watching 'Harry's Farm' for a long time now and it's a never ending learning experience.....
Great and interesting episode Harry.
Harry we've been using miscanthus for the past 10-years use for bedding horses and cattle it's brilliant stuff we get from local farmer normally cuts in April with a self-propelled harvester chopped up like silage put in a grain shed turns on the air for a few weeks to get the moisture right down we grow wheat barley and oats sell all the best bedding you will come across love your videos
Thanks for the introduction of the flower app tried it out today and it fantastic !
Another fascinating insight to the modern farm.
Great video Harry, informative as always but we need to see more of you!
Loving Harry's Farm. Please keep them coming!
Very interesting, please keep the information coming as the situation evolves.
Love seeing various vistas from your beautiful home, Mr and Mrs M!
What a pleasure to watch your videos; you certainly pack a lot in!
Awesome video Harry.
Hi Harry, your Farm videos are terrific - interesting, informative, thought provoking. Many thanks.
I love Harry's Farm. Ex City boy now living in the Austrian country side. So lots of farming thingies being explained to us non farming peeps... Thanks H.
As ever an excellent go to video, as soon as one pops up I watch it. They are always full of interesting insights and information that you can't get anywhere else.
Thank you for taking the time to pass on your knowledge...you tell it like it is and you obviously know what you're talking about. Great compelling viewing.
Your farm channel is amazing! Best of all. Very informative and an honest farmers perspective.
Another great video Harry & fascinating to understand how farming is changing with the Carbon focus!
Vastly interesting informative as ever thank you so much harry
I have a field I'm wondering what to crop next and this grass and carbon locking is fascinating stuff! Thanks Harry!
Another interesting video Harry keep it up
Harry you make great programmes. You should be on TV!
Very interesting video Harry.
Really enjoy your videos Harry👍
Fascinating video this one - I appreciate and understand why you need to keep looking at these various alternatives. Like you say it’s all a far cry from what I was taught in the early 80’s at Cirencester Re intensive monoculture and even on Cotswold brash!
Hi I’m new! I am a farmer and f find it very interesting to hear about this carbon farming as its a big topic in farming, great video
I'd say go with the solar park and forget the miscanthus, great comparison between their energy potentials. The solar would offset way more CO2. Check out hemp as one of the other commentators mentioned, so many uses. The one problem I see with these crops is biodiversity, we now have 30 acres of flower meadows cutting them at the end of the season, i'd rather carbon offsetting money was used to promote these.
Always informative, on what's happening, in the real world of farming.
It seems the real world of farming requires a lucrative side business - preferably motoring journalism - to keep it afloat
so informative ....always a joy to watch ...thank you
Can't wait to watch, sure it will be excellent as always.
Hello again 'Harry's Farm', once more I have learnt more from your 'farm vlog' than reading the 'press' posts, great please continue. Regards, RichardA.
Nice work on the flower initiative; orchids, awesome. You keep a fine head of cattle, they look healthy and happy.
Great video Harry and very interesting.
Fascinaing as always. Thank you.
Have a look at "just have a think" on utube, last week was on Hemp, similar to the miscanthus idea.. round bales, fun dodging them when boating off Swanage, always a few floating when baling was misjudged.. 😁 Great report,as usual.... thanks Harry
I hope JEREMY has you as an advisor on his Farm --your so Knowledgeable.. GREAT VIDEO...
Love me some Harry’s Farm/Garage, but hard pass on the Miscanthus sinensis. That stuff is highly invasive; we’ve spent a lot of time and money trying to eradicate it from natural areas. It spreads like crazy. Caveat is I’m in the eastern US, but yeah, Miscanthus es no bueno…
is that the shit they call bunch/cheat grass out west? sure looks the same and it was highly invasive
History is replete with stories of well meaning efforts backfiring. Exotic species introduced that wreck ecosystems.
Giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed..these too grow like blazes..in all the wrong places🙃
I always enjoy these videos, and I think you should do what you think is best, Mr Harry. Considering he lives on a farm, this guy has no flies on him.
So informative. Thanks Harry.
Eternally fascinating! Thank you!
Fascinating stuff as usual. Certainly makes you realise how much farmers contribute to the Country.
Thank you for the great video. I have learnt a few new things how the farm system there.
As a non farmer this channel is sooo educational! “Farming carbon” - fascinating insight into the future (& now!)
The best and most informative farming programme out there. It should be on proper TV. Harry is a wealth of knowledge and gives it to you straight. unlike other media programmes not mentioning any names.
Fantastic video Harry
If we are using farmland to grow electricity we are doomed. Any lawmaker who is not adding gen 2 nuclear to the conversation is not serious. Edit: also I Love when Harry pushes back against lazy journalism!
Any law maker who think its job is to "run the country" and tell other people what to do is vile.
@@joshjerrome8227 Just like California wanted to put solarpanels in the desert, but there was a certain bug living there, so they could not
I agree. ..Absolute madness.
you are being proven correct...
the Chinese will beat us with molten salt reactors and then we will end up buying them. The west has no direction anymore.
Really good video as always lots of useful information👍
Brilliant as usual!
There is definitely a big question about food production here and whether policy is looking at the big picture or just desperate to meet a net zero target. I suspect the latter...
I’d love to hear you opinion on concerns about how having less and less locally grown food might leave us exposed in the next 30-50 years.
Loving the videos as always Harry, always seeking to give context, fantastic!
Very enjoyable and the plant app is fab
Absolutely fascinating. Kudos
Good episode very informative
Thank you for a very good informative video, It's not lazy journalism it's stir up the public to help make politicians look good as most of joe public has not got a clue how farmers farm or what go's on at a farm. Please keep these videos coming, All the best Wayne.
Interesting video as usual!
Very interesting video Harry. I've inherited some Miscanthus Grass on my allotment from the previous tenant who worked on a trail for a certain large power station that rhymes with Flax. It is a vigorous grower its still going after 2 years of spraying with glyphosate in the spring, i'm nearly on top of it now though.
There's been quite a lot of Miscanthus grown in Lincolnshire for years presumably going to the Power Station at Sleaford.
Willow seems to be another rapid growing option and probably better from an environmental view as it's a native plant and provides habitat for wildlife. Ive seen areas of willow growing in the Midlands for energy production.
Very interesting times in land management.
Another good video, enjoy your content Harry. A separate video on the grass/silage harvest would have been brilliant.
Love the cows they look so happy
Harry, marvellous images and support for Sussex Red cattle. Fantastic, and aesthetically pleasing animals on a farm. Great video. Learn a lot on farming, George Eustace should hire you to educate the public...
Thanks harry, Interesting stuff.
FarmerP you haven't got enough ground for micanthus, good effort on Hay, as Harry said he was worried about changeable conditions when it's cut on the ground. 👍
Watching this while literally EATING BEEF for lunch. Thank you Harry!
I hope that's British, pasture fed, low CO2, beef...
Finally someone speaking sense on grass fed beef production! All the media and vegans watching their CZcams experts look at are the corn fed mega farms around the world, not typical British stock farms! 👍👍👍👍👍
The writing has been on the wall for some time. Excellent video H. Good luck with the planners mate - you will need it.
The collie sat in that tractor, so cool
thanks for the memory l used fetch the milk herd for my grandad about 10 years old
Another good and educational video - Thank You! Growing Miscanthus grass is akin to the next step of growing light bulbs - it's light years away from "traditional" farming, with so many varied streams of income. With your other crops (and hence cash flow) highly weather dependent, I conclude it must be tempting to grow electricity. Good Luck!
@@jamespeters2859 there aren't enough acres on the planet for solar panels to provide the world's energy requirements. We need alternates. Did I say this was the solution? No. But from a farming view point it very much changes the economic model. Perhaps learn to read first - and stop writing like were communicating on a Nokia phone from the 90's - as it might help develop your blinkered education.
Watched a Clarkson's farm episode now Harry's Farm - life's great.
How about setting some timelapse cameras up for stuff like moving cows, bailing grass, harvesting etc? Be interesting to see from start to finish.
Both fascinating and encouraging. I so wish that were going on here in the US.
The future is using the syngas from the miscanthus for power generation and not turning it to ash but biochar.
That way the carbon is saved and can be used back in the soil again.
Carbon accumulation..limitless.
And being char will still be there in your grandchildren's grandchildren's time.
Millennial carbon storage.
Maybe store it in old coal mines....
Very useful that you are hearing different real life experiences Harry so you can evaluate what to do. I live in east Markham in North Nottinghamshire and there is a smattering of Miscanthus growing near here. I am rather perplexed why the first time we saw some it seemed to be in the ground for more than one season so maybe it's another one of those government initiatives that some agency in the middle seems to prosper from. On a different note, I support any food initiative that limits what we import.
Those fields going up from Markham Moor must be contract based, they don't seem to be cut consistently so you'd imagine it's based on when the buying group/power plant say they want it. I think I've seen them left more than a year between harvests.
Interesting, good attitude to all animals,show some respect for this man he is a real farmer, not an overweight has been
Such good informative videos to watch when eating the dinner. Bit worried about the Miscanthus grass “breaking out” though!
Thanks for such a great video
Another great video Harry can’t believe the farmer haters telling them how they should farm
Great video very interesting
Quality as usual
This was fascinating thank you!
Harry’s farm and Tom Pemberton are my favourites, Clarkson I haven’t seen yet.
Farmer p is good as well
Clarkson’s farm was a great watch. Slightly bigger budget than this channel mind.
Fascinating subject, the cutting in March and letting it dry sounds risky - especially looking back at the last few!
Great informative vid 👍🏻
Ive had Picture This for a year and it’s amazing
?
Very Interesting
i love the way you are talking about carbon emissions at the boot of a range rover
Good to see commodity prices holding up, hopefully farmers will have some benefit from higher prices even of they have to pay a bit more for workers in the future. 👍
This was a really interesting episode. Really good to see the comparison between energy from a solar farm and from burning biomass.
I get that there's a financial incentive to get involved in selling carbon credits but it's a totally cynical market and is a patch that enables companies to continue their damaging behaviour. I also can't imagine that the carbon credit gets its full value back either.
Excellent.
Hi Harrry, Greetings from New Zealand, Miscanthus is just being investigated here and is in its infancy so it is very interesting for us to observe. I think the opportunity exists in Miscanthus from its massive dry matter production and in particular for livestock consumption, I understand cattle will eat it at green leaf stage {about 750 to 1000 mm high and there is potential for a second and third cut. The ME content is quite adequate for sustaining live weight in cattle so sales for feed would be an added bonus on top of your carbon credits although here in NZ it looks like the Govt. is going to fight tooth and nail to avoid paying us for sequestration on farm rather would just subtract it from our carbon tax which is due to come in this year. Good luck to all your fellow farmers in the UK from all NZ farmers.
Thanks Harry, very interesting. Greg Judy regenerative rancher, along with yourself talk total sense when it comes to beef cattle and the environment. His herd is a lot bigger, and as with your herd, no additives, no chemicals, are given to the animals or put on the land.
Great video harry, really interesting, your have the contractors fees on top as well for harvest, stick to what you no.
And Also the Delivery cost to the powerplants
Very informative thanks
Harry , I find your videos so interesting. Your point on using the miscanthus grass to cope with peak loading. I’m not sure that stacks up as a gas turbine gas sets can run up within minutes if not seconds I can’t believe you could run up a steam generating set in the same time, unless of course they use it in a gas turbine which is possible but the hot blades may suffer. Great video. Love the car stuff to. 👍
David, it would have to be burned and used to heat water to produce steam.
It won't have a high calorific content for the amount used such as coal or gas.
The co2 produced may be offset by the amount of co2 originally taken in by the plant as it grows.
@@neilorton5162 yes it would but not as responsive a gas unit for peak loading is my point. Is it not the same as burning wood? Food production is surely the priority. I bet it will be in the near future.
Please keep this factual / educational info coming Harry, all of us Joe-Public need to better understand the reality of modern farming and how it impacts the environment, (positively as well as the negative urban-based media spin). Not sure about the miscanthus grass, sounds very tricky to get just right? Brilliant vid Harry! More often, please? 👍🏻😃