A state of the art combine harvester is taking to the streets of central London tomorrow for one of the UK’s most historic parades.

The NFU has teamed up with The Worshipful Company of Farmers and John Deere for this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show (Saturday November 8) to encourage the public to back British farming. The high-tech machine is being used to demonstrate how our food is produced and will be transformed with stunning vinyl graphics depicting the great British countryside.

The John Deere S685i combine will be driven from Mansion House to St Paul’s Cathedral and on to the Strand before a return leg along the Embankment and Queen Victoria Street and back to Mansion House. The 22 foot combine header will be towed by a 1946 John Deere Model D tractor.


John Deere S685i combine

Eight young farmers representing the NFU’s seven English regions and Wales will accompany the combine to promote farming and agriculture as a modern and vibrant industry that provides a wide range of career opportunities such as agronomists, scientists, vets and engineers.

This year is the 687th Lord Mayor’s Show and is expected to attract crowds of more than half a million people on the day, lining the pavements on the three mile long procession through the City of London, as well as millions more watching the live broadcast on BBC 1.

NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: “We are very honoured and excited to take part in one of London’s biggest and most prestigious events. Being involved with the Lord Mayor’s Show is a wonderful opportunity to showcase farming to a wide audience, many who won’t have seen a combine harvester up close before. The combine will look stunning and will be specially branded to promote our back British farming messages and to let the public know that farmers are proud to produce their food."

Chris Wiltshire from John Deere said: “John Deere is proud to support British farming and to demonstrate that support with our combine in the Lord Mayor’s Show.  It’s not often we get the chance to show a machine of this size in a town or city, and taking part in this parade in the centre of London is very special.”