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Farmer Tõnis

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Kodu » Instagram

farmer.tonis

🇪🇪 Farmer from Estonia
🌱 I create humorous and educational farming content
⬇️ Follow along

Most of the season, farmers run on just 3 hours of

Most of the season, farmers run on just 3 hours of sleep. 😅

#farmertonis

No sleep at night? You ☠️ #farmertonis

No sleep at night? You ☠️

#farmertonis

On May 10th, I asked a simple question: Are we he

On May 10th, I asked a simple question:

Are we heading into a drought?

Three weeks later - despite several rain events — I'm asking exactly the same question:

Are we still heading into a drought?

Short answer: yes.

I use three @paultech_esoil soil monitoring stations across my fields that track soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient availability. Some people watch football scores. I watch soil data.

So what happened between May 10th and May 31st?

🌧️ Rainfall recorded near my stations:

• 22 mm
• 30 mm
• 38 mm

Sounds decent, right?

Now compare that to the same period last year:

• 47 mm
• 55 mm
• 57 mm

That's 50–113% more rainfall than we've had this year.

What does that mean underground?

The surface tells one story.

The soil tells another.

One station is already showing drought stress.

A second station is getting dangerously close.

The third station — the one that received the most rain - is probably only about 10 days away from joining them.

When the recent rains arrived, I genuinely thought we'd been saved.

The data disagreed.

And what about nitrogen?

I've applied around 100 kg/ha of nitrogen.

Only the wettest field is showing very high nutrient availability.

The other two fields haven't responded nearly as much because nutrients need moisture to move into the root zone where plants can actually use them.

No water = no nutrient taxi service.

The uncomfortable conclusion

Lately I've heard a lot of people complaining about the weather.

And honestly, I've done my share of complaining too.

The wind has been annoying.

The rain has ruined plans.

The temperatures haven't exactly felt like summer.

But when I look below the surface, I see a very different reality.

So to all my non-farmer friends...

I'm sorry.

But for the sake of the crops, it would actually be best if this "bad weather" continued for a while longer.

Because the next few weeks may decide far more than most people realize.

🌾 The roads may be wet.

🌾 The puddles may look promising.

🌾 But the soil is still thirsty.

#farmertonis #paultechesoil #collaboration

I was happy to host UK farmers in my farm invited

I was happy to host UK farmers in my farm invited by @paultech_esoil

I presented them my journey as a farmer and influencer.

What are the challenges the 🇪🇪 farmers are facing? What technology I use and why? What I am hoping to make out of my flour project?

We had a nice discussion and the problems between 🇪🇪 and 🇬🇧 are virtually the same - low crop price, high inputs, climate change and excessive regulations!

We also visited my big winter wheat trial field and talked about our harsh climate and how these trials help to determine the best varieties which can withstand -29 degrees in winter and drought in spring 🫣

Thanks to all participating and asking questions 🙏

#farmertonis

This spring I got my first real experience how win

This spring I got my first real experience how winter crop damage compensation actually looks like in practice.

This post is made in collaboration with EURORISK kindlustusmaakler

Over the past 2 years, I’ve already had 3 "happenings" on my fields that were compensated by insurance:

☀️ 2024 - drought

🌪️ 2025 - hail/storm

❄️2026 - winter damage

In Autumn of 2025, one of my 22 ha winter wheat fields went into winter looking almost perfect.

But after the snow melted… the picture was completely different — missing rows, huge empty patches and honestly, it only kept getting worse 🤦

So I called the insurance broker EURORISK kindlustusmaakler

The expert arrived, drone went up, short field walk and the decision was pretty simple:

☠️ 100% destroyed.

Luckily, the field was insured.

📊 My numbers:

• Insurance cost for me: ~€14/ha

• Compensation for the destroyed field: ~€250/ha

• Winter wheat inputs: ~€150/ha

• Result: input costs were covered

By that point, I had already invested into the winter wheat crop - fertilizer, crop protection, fieldwork etc. Without insurance, all of those losses plus reseeding costs would’ve come directly out of my own pocket.

Crop insurance proved once again, that it is a valuable tool to manage risks (if you have that kind of luck that I have 😅)

#collaboration #farmertonis

Don't get yourself fooled by ordinary people tryin

Don't get yourself fooled by ordinary people trying to get the "always complaining farmer" out of you 💪

#farmertonis

@basf.agro.eesti is sponsoring my big wheat trial

@basf.agro.eesti is sponsoring my big wheat trial and gave me an autumn herbicide Flight Forte for trialing.

Believe me, behind the camera, the difference between sprayed and unsprayed area was even bigger.

Autumn herbicide has been a standard in my farm for quite many years because our springs have become so cold that you can't kill weeds between nightfreezes.

The longer the field is clean, the longer the plants benefit from moisture and nutrients the weeds are not using

#farmertonis #collaboration #basfagro

Farmer Tonis x @rapool_eesti @saaten_union @vaders

Farmer Tonis x @rapool_eesti @saaten_union @vaderstad

The biggest winter wheat trial in 🇪🇪 has survived the winter and is growing nicely.

Planted on 22nd of September 2025 in very tough wet conditions straight into oat stubble with Vaderstad Seedhawk.

We had cold winter with -25 degrees for several days but snow cover protected plants.

Spring season started dry and with several nights under -5 degrees. The crop has taken some beating but every variety has survived, although some are not looking too nice. But that's what the trials are for!

Stay tuned how this trial progresses and what is the best variety for Estonia's tough conditions 💪

*Cries in JD* #farmertonis

*Cries in JD*

#farmertonis

From grind mode to party mode 😅 #farmertonis

From grind mode to party mode 😅

#farmertonis

Some days you have skill… or luck 😅 #farmertoni

Some days you have skill... or luck 😅
#farmertonis

I am trying out hemp on my field and in this reel

I am trying out hemp on my field and in this reel I am giving fertilizer before planting! Hemp needs all the nutrients, even nitrogen before planting, so no later application!

#farmertonis #nordichemp #hemp

Besides being a farmer, I have also studied politi

Besides being a farmer, I have also studied political science and I was very glad that I was invited to Brussels where 🇪🇺 policies are made!

🇪🇪 delegation consisted of politicans, officials, businessmen and two farmers 👨‍🌾👨‍🌾!

We met with high officials Maive Rute, Indrek Kannik, Katrin Juhandi and MEP @sn8mr who gave insights how EU works, what are the current trends, what is the future and why things are as they are.

My main concern is ofcourse agriculture and funding of agriculture, despite this not being maybe the main focus topic of this trip, me and Jaak Läänemets managed to bring it on the table with help of 🇪🇪 former minister of agriculture @piret.hartman !

We will see if this trip will yield results but if no-one is talking about what is going on in our sector, nothing is going to improve!

Thanks to @silver.meikar for showing us around and those "short" walks 😅
And @marissild for smooth organization

#farmertonis

Spring planting in full swing, durum wheat (you ca

Spring planting in full swing, durum wheat (you can make pasta) and 🇪🇪 wheat variety "Hiie" (you can make bread) going into ground.

Thanks for the pictures neighbour Taavi!

Lovely experience 😅 #farmertonis

Lovely experience 😅

#farmertonis

Trying something new for the 2026 season. My wint

Trying something new for the 2026 season.

My winter wheat didn’t come through the winter well and the yield potential just isn’t there, so instead of pushing a weak crop, I’ve decided to switch things up and go with industrial hemp in cooperation with Nordic Hemp.

Right now I’m working the field to get a proper seedbed ready.
No rush with sowing – hemp needs warm soil, so I’ll wait until May when conditions are right. At the moment it’s still too cold and we’re getting night frosts.

The goal is simple: make the best out of a tough situation and go with a crop that actually has a chance to perform both agronomically and economically.

@hempestonia

#farmertonis

It's always a pain to get the fert spreader clean,

It's always a pain to get the fert spreader clean, especially underside!

Also moving machinery around with telehandler is a lot more convenient than with tractor 💪

#farmertonis

Have you seen something so rare? 😅 #farmertonis #

Have you seen something so rare? 😅

#farmertonis #horschpronto

This Thursday marks the start of Maamess – an inte

This Thursday marks the start of Maamess – an international agriculture, forestry, gardening, and food expo in Tartu 🚜

My flour-based FT Bread Baking Kit will be presented at the @teraleib booth. 🍞 Come by to taste and try it out!

If you’d like to meet me in person, I’ll be there on Thursday from 13:00–15:00 in the Food Hall, stand D4.

Hope to see you there 👋

A little reminder where you can buy my flour. Orde

A little reminder where you can buy my flour. Order online or visit those local shops 🇪🇪 . We might even meet at some events soon, stay tuned!

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Aadress: Kirsi 19, Jõgeva
Kontakt: tonis@farmertonis.ee

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