Sustainable Farm Networks Launched at Royal Welsh Show
The UK’s demonstration farm networks have been called upon to join a nation-wide collaboration to share knowledge and practice at the official launch of the Sustainable Farm Networks initiative (SFN).
The launch was held at this year’s Royal Welsh Show and set out how the initiative – coordinated by Harper Adams University’s School of Sustainable Food and Farming – will bring together a diversity of UK demonstration farm networks to help them better prepare for the scale of change facing the industry by sharing experiences, findings and best practice.
An audience of farmers and sector professionals joined the launch – at a Harper Adams University alumni event – to hear more about how the SFN is being formed through a collaboration of UK’s public and private demonstration farm networks to become more than the sum of their parts, by combining their vision, knowledge and experience.
Professor Michael Lee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University, said: “Farmers, as we know, learn best from each other. There are many different groupings around demonstration farm networks with different purposes – but these networks, as good as they are, don’t always speak to each other. They’re formed, they deliver a purpose, and then sometimes they continue, or sometimes they end.
“What is needed in the UK is a mechanism that connects those networks, and critically, farmers within these groups, so that common goals, such as carbon net zero, can be realised more efficiently together across the breadth of the networks.
As its work develops, the SFN will share successes and research drawn from participating networks, using the collective power of the participating farms to boost their reach and impact.
SFN is open to any, and all, farming networks out there who believe they can leverage better by embracing sharing what works. An introductory meeting on September 12th from 9.30 to 10.15 to find out more about what the project, free to join, will be offering to demo farm networks (contact LBates@harper-adams.ac.uk for joining instructions)
Industry representatives, farmers and alumni at the launch were encouraged to spread the invitation from the SFN to their own networks, whether sector specific pioneer farms, national research project clusters or farmer innovator groups.
Project Manager Lucy Bates said: “Over the first six months working with and listening to a huge range of stakeholders, we’ve got a good plan together. We have already had really fantastic and generous input from a huge spread of organisations.
“I am really looking forward to reaching out to and hearing from demonstration farm networks – putting into action the plans that we have set in place so far and honing them: to fit the industry, to fit the sector, to fit the supply chains, to fit the individuals, to fit the farmers and the networks we’re going to be working with.
“My hope is to see you here this time next year and update you on the progress we have made. Watch this space!”