Old Pond publishing days

A Variety of Agricultural Machines at Work in Australia

A three-part film series looking at a variety of agricultural machines at work in Australia. With English language track.

Filmmakers Jörn and Tammo Gläser have travelled to different regions of the continent down under several times as part of their documentary series ‘Agriculture in Australia’. This three-part film series looks at a variety of agricultural machines made by different manufacturers as they are put to work over the different seasons and from Western Australia to the island of Tasmania.

 

 

 

 

Vol.1:

Filmmakers Jörn and Tammo Gläser begin their journey of agricultural discovery in the city of Perth, in the state of Western Australia. The first stop is the two sites owned by Glenvar Farms, where the family harvests its grain and compresses the straw with the combine harvester in one passing. Along their 4500-kilometer route, the brothers then visit other large grain farms that are using modern combine harvesters and large tractors. The variety of the Australian landscape is also showcased
along the way. You can find the “making-of” for the three-part film on this Australian expedition under Extras on the DVD. A narrator guides you through the film. This episode is 85 minutes long.

 

Vol. 2

In eastern Australia, farmers of some of the largest farms in the southern hemisphere work several thousands of hectares of farmland. High-hp tractors from John Deere, Case IH and New Holland are used here. However, Australia is also known for its variety in agricultural production. Brothers Jörn and Tammo Gläser show you the cotton harvest, using the latest self-propelled John Deere machinery, as well as rare shots of the olive harvest in the state of Victoria. A narrator guides you through the film. This episode is 95 minutes long.

 

 

 

 

Vol. 3

With a working width of 65 metres, one of the largest agricultural producers in Australia uses the world’s widest drill. For brothers Jörn and Tammo Gläser, this is one of the highlights of the third part of this agricultural documentary on Australia. Other rare footage includes shots of different pieces of machinery in action in the sugar cane harvest in Queensland, and a visit to a vegetable farm on the island of Tasmania. In the third part of this documentary series, you will get to see agricultural machinery used in interesting and exciting ways in a varied landscape. A narrator guides you through the film. This episode is 95 minutes long.

 

 

 

View this Three Part DVD Set Here

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The Grassmen Collection... Machinery Diversity!

The Grassmen duo made their first film in 2009 and they now have numerous titles, sales of which run into tens of thousands. They also have a cult following on youtube. This 7 DVD set includes all of the following;

 NEW Two Ledgends & A Donkey - In a unique Grassmen challenge two special characters from our earlier titles, namely the Legends that are Jimmy Doherty & Mike Greenaway, join the Grassmen's unforgettable team member Donkey for a series of tractor tests. Each man was given a budget of £16,000 to buy a 2nd hand tractor which they believed could still compete with today's new and rather expensive kit. In this first episode, they put their old girls back to work and as expected it isn't long before the breakdowns and banter kick in. Including reviews on the JF 1060 and Schuitemaker wagons this DVD will entertain all ages from start to finish.

Its In The Blood - On an island situated east of the Atlantic Ocean, in the Northern Province where wet weather grows the greenest grass on the planet, a dedicated group of men battle with the sodden ground, steep hills, narrow roads and tight yards to harvest thousands of acres of lush green silage.  These are Northern Ireland's GRASSMEN.  Interviews with three contractors from different locations in Ulster explain how they became GRASSMEN.  In addition they each talk about the current machinery they use, experiences best forgotten and what drives them to persevere with the grass.

Keep 'er lit - Join Luke Furse (Farmer’s Weekly Contractor of the Year Finalist), his son Lloyd and the rest of the team in Devon for an insight into the working of Furse agricultural contracting and earthmoving businesses.  The first in a two-part series, "Keep 'er Lit" shows the crew flat-out between the rain showers, as Grassmen.  Watch the varied fleet of tractors, hear the performance comparison results and make up your own mind as to which tractor brand really is the winner.

Old School - In an epic compilation of three unique events, Classic Grassmen captures a huge variety of old school kit in full flight.  After a long harvest season Devon based Luke Furse and his team take an evening to blow the dust off their Ford and County collections.  We also travel to Co. Down where Cyril Hanna has organised a fleet of local Ferguson tractors to haul in wholecrop silage, including two rare 1250's and a V8 1155.  This production is rounded off with the sights and sounds of the Dunmore single-chop world record attempt, including some rare harvesters working in a history of silage demonstration. Despite a tough summer the Vintage club aim to smash the previous record of 26 machines.

Meet the special characters who live and breathe classic tractors, as they put the pedal to the metal.

Sustain The Flame - 'Sustain the flame', the second DVD in a two-part series follows Luke Furse (Farmer's Weekly Contractor of the Year Finalist), his son Lloyd and the rest of the contracting team during the busy Autumn harvest season. This sequel to Grassmen's 'Keep er lit' DVD, focuses on corn cutting and maize harvesting Devon style.  The multicoloured fleet of machinery ensures there's something for everyone and the final verdict is delivered on the four tractor performance test, featuring a John Deere, Landini, Fendt and Case.

Green Fever - The third installment in the Grassmen documentary series, 'Green Fever' gives a comparison of silage making in counties Cork, Fermanagh and Down in the difficult 2011 season.  Featuring Troy Contracting, Read Agri Contracts and McKelvey Harvesting, a diverse range of kit can be seen in action across the unique challenges of each location.

Fulla the pipe - 'fulla the pipe’ is like no other production.  Using unique camera angles and real time action you will experience the highlights of 2010’s first cut silage season.  You will be taken on a journey through some of Northern Ireland’s most spectacular countryside by three of the province's largest contracting fleets.  The diversity of the machinery will ensure that there is something to suit every tractor enthusiast.  The reality of silage contracting is honestly and accurately portrayed in this documentary, with the weather and inevitable breakdowns being just some of the challenges faced.  More than just machinery, the characters amongst the Grassmen emerge as they share the highs, the lows and the humour of the season.  This DVD provides a snap shot of the art of silage contracting in the 21st century.

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International Heavy Haul 2 DVD... Heavy Haulage at its Best

In International Heavy Haul Two we travel to four different parts of the world to bring you features showing heavy haulage at its most impressive.

This Trucking DVD is filmed in four different parts of the world.

The first film looks at the transport of two 130-tonne bridge beams in Australia. We see the crews starting their day’s work in a remote layby on the Great Northern Highway between Perth and Port Hedland, and accompany them for some distance - excellent in- cab footage is included. Traction is provided by Mack-ballasted tractors with the beams supported front and rear on 7&8 row bogies.

In the second feature we move to South Africa. Here we were privileged to witness the movement of a 356-tonne transformer, which was being carried on a girder frame supported by 24 rows of axles. Motive power is provided by three 8x8 Tractomas ballasted tractors and a rebuilt 6x4 Pacific. The sight and sound of this awesome combination is definitely not to be missed. We also film various other heavy loads with a variety of bal - lasted and 5th wheel tractors.

For the third part of our quartet, we have to thank Warwick Bell, general manager of Tranzcarr in New Zealand, who very kindly allowed us to use a film made for Tranzcarr showing the haulage of two transformers to a wind-farm project. The loads, weighing nearly 100 tons each, were carried on ten rows of axles, pulled and pushed by two Mack tractors. Other trucks were brought in to assist on gradients of up to 20% (1 in 5). The film follows the whole job, from unloading the transformers from a ship in the Port of Wellington through to final installation at the job site.

Our final feature brings us back to England to witness ALE moving two redundant giant boilers from the decommissioned Berkeley power station to the docks at Sharpnees. Motive power is provide by ALE’s unique Unipower 8x8 tractor and a 6x6 Faun tractor. Filming starts at the power station and follows the loads through to the docks. There we see them being loaded onto a barge belonging to Robert Wynn and Sons for onward shipment to Avonmouth Docks, where they were due to be loaded onto a freighter for delivery to Sweden for processing.

Please click to view International Heavy Haul 2 

Rookie pilots defy bone-chilling temperatures to fly cargo and passengers through blizzards, breakdowns and transatlantic journeys.

ICE PILOTS - THE COMPLETE SERIES 2 (DVD)

Ice Pilots NWT is a 13-episode real-life docu series about an unorthodox airline in the Canadian North. Yellowknife-based Buffalo Airways flies WWII-era propeller planes big old aircraft built by “Rosie the Riveter” and pretty much unchanged.

Rookie pilots defy bone-chilling temperatures to fly cargo and passengers through blizzards, breakdowns and transatlantic journeys. It’s an impossible job in a merciless place.

New recruits come to slog it out on the ramp in -30°C weather to earn a chance to fly planes that most airlines scrapped long ago. Classics like the Douglas DC-3 and DC-4 and the Curtiss C-46 Commando, the very planes that once ferried troops and supplies in WWII. 

Few newbies make it. As they compete to rise up the ranks, they cope with ice storms, forest fires, treacherous landings and legendary owner “Buffalo” Joe McBryan’s famous temper. Buffalo Airways is literally a lifeline to the North. As Joe’s son Mikey McBryan puts it: “You can’t separate the North from flying. It’s the same thing.” Without Buffalo Airways, food and supplies wouldn’t reach the many northern communities cut off from the rest of the world during the long, harsh winter.

This season on Ice Pilots NWT, viewers will follow a treacherous transatlantic journey in the middle of winter as crews attempt to deliver two Canadair CL-215 waterbombers to their new owners in Turkey. The problem? These aircraft aren’t designed to fly in winter conditions and aren’t configured for flying over larges bodies of water. Getting there proves to be a daring feat. 

 

Viewers will also watch the drama unfold as pilots fresh out of flight school pay their dues as“rampies”, anxious for a chance to fly. Rampies load cargo, sweep snow off the wings and log hours as flight attendants, competing fiercely with one another for the next coveted co-pilot position. Friendships among pilots are also tested as they vie for enough flight hours to make captain. By the end of the season, someone will be leaving Buffalo Airways. Ice Pilots NWT gives viewers a rare look at life “north of 60”. With the economic downturn, a dwindling supply of speciality aviation gas and the high cost of flying vintage aircraft, the very future of Buffalo Airways hangs in the balance.

To order your 4 DVD box set please click here

Tracks, Tyres and Skid Units new DVD on Ford Tractor Conversions from Tractor Barn no available

Tracks, Tyres and Skid Units: The Story of Ford Tractor Conversions, part 2, 1964-1994 (DVD) is now available on www.oldpond.com.

Part Two of Tracks, Tyres and Skid Units takes the story of Ford tractor conversions forwards from 1964 right up to 1994.

As with Part One we take each Ford tractor model and look at what conversions were based on that particular model. This means that a comprehensive overview of these conversions builds in the actual order in which it happened giving a unique perspective on these superb machines.

Four wheel drive conversions really steal the show in this programme as the new Ford 1000 Series 6X range arrives and numerous different conversions appear based on it and subsequent ranges, from companies such as County, Doe, Muir-Hill, Northrop and Roadless.

The culmination is the big County 1884 which marks the last days of the conversion specialists, but the story does not end there as the Moffett MFT was based on the Ford 40 Series from 1991 and the rubber tracked Caterpillar Challenger 35, 45 and 55 machines were based on the Ford 70 Series that first appeared in 1994. This brings the story to a neat end and the two programmes tell the complete story from 1917 to 1994.>

A special feature also looks at some of the smaller conversions built over the years such as drainage machines, tricycle conversions and other uses to which Ford skid units were put.

Using mostly recently filmed footage, this programme is a superb record of the Ford conversion story and certainly gives it a whole new perspective.

 

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Reiff Contractor DVD now available on oldpond.com

Accompany the Reiff contractor team from Troisvierges in Luxembourg through the whole year in their work along the borders of Belgium, Germany and France. See the exciting and rarely seen machinery on the fields and get to know the Reiff family and their workers.

The year begins with the first municipal work and winter road clearance. In spring, grass silage will start soon in addition to cultivating the soil, fertilising and sowing seed. In the warm summer months the cereals are harvested with numerous combine harvesters. Harvesting maize in the autumn is one of the most stressful tasks of the year.

A narrator guides you through the film and explains interesting facts about the work and machinery shown.

This DVD is now available on www.oldpond.com

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Old Pond Publishing joins 5m Publishing

International media business, 5m Publishing – part of Benchmark Holdings plc – today announced their successful acquisition of Suffolk-based agriculture and machinery specialist Old Pond Publishing. The acquisition sees Benchmark continue to strengthen its position as an established leader in the supply of knowledge transfer, market analysis and e-commerce to the global food chain.

Old Pond Publishing specialise in DVDs and books focusing on land-based industries. OP Publishing will be incorporated into Benchmark’s Technical Publishing division, strengthening the range and scale of the company’s publishing service.

Commenting on the development, Benchmark’s Managing Director of Technical Publishing, James Banfield, said:

“We are thrilled to announce our acquisition of Old Pond Publishing to the Benchmark group. Our Technical Publishing division serves over 6 million users across three continents. We are constantly looking for ways to build and expand the service we offer our customers. Today’s acquisition increases our digital catalogue and ecommerce service and brings the potential for further growth.”