When Marty McFly and Doc Brown would have landed in their destination date of 1985, “Scientists slam new soil values system” was the front page Irish Farmers Journal headline that would have been there to greet them.

We take a trip to 1985 to see what farming stories were making headlines on 26 October 1985, and link them back to the future.

Scientists slam new soil values system

The top five scientists in the Faculty of Agriculture, UCD, have slammed the new guidelines issued by the Farm Tax Commissioner Gerry Fahey to his staff, stipulating how land is to be valued for the assessment of the £10 per adjusted acre land tax.

Enjoying Macra’s annual conference

Talking point at the weekend’s Macra na Feirme annual conference was last weeks Journal story suggesting that the young farmers’ aid of £11,250 will not be included in the new farm grant scheme.

Macra seeks summit on axing of young farmer aid

Macra na Feirme has sought an urgent meeting with the Taoiseach following the publication of last week’s Journal story suggesting that the special EEC grant to help young farmers get established in farming may not form part of the new Farm Improvement Scheme, to be announced within the next fortnight.

Flat rate milk pricing - again!

In his October circular to suppliers, Denis Brosnan, chief executive of Kerry Co-Op, makes the point that one cannot compare price standardised at 3.55% butterfat, which he describes as the “theoretical price”, to one that is actually paid.

Cheapest sources of credit

In June of this year, the “cartel” between the four major associated banks was disbanded. Interest rates now differ, albeit slightly between the banks.

Bridging the fodder gap

Useful guidelines on the winter feeding of cattle and cows on farms where fodder is scarce and poor have been assembled by beef, dairy and nutrition specialists in ACOT.

Tillage farmer of the year finalists: Delaney brothers on way to second win?

Delaney brothers of Fethard, last year’s winners of the Farmers Journal/ICI Tillage Farmer of the Year title, have reached the final once again. Their commitment to intensively managed winter cereals remains undimmed despite the problems that went with having more than half their land in winter wheat in 1985.

Animal health: Leptosprirosis in humans associated with cattle

Leptospirosis in cattle is now well documented but it is only recently that human infections with Lepto have been fully recognised. At the BVA congress in Exeter, Dr S.A. Waitkins presented a paper on human Lepto.

Back to the Future 2

After repairing the damage to history done by his previous time travel adventures, Marty McFly (Fox) and his friend Dr. Emmett “Doc” Brown (Lloyd) travel to 2015 to prevent McFly’s future son from ending up imprisoned. However, their presence allows Biff Tannen (Wilson) to steal Doc’s DeLorean time machine and travel to 1955, where he alters history by making his younger self wealthy.