About Innovative Farmers

Innovative Farmers is a not for profit membership network, for all farmers and growers who are running on farm trials, on their own terms.

When Innovative Farmers was launched in 2012 (back then known as the Duchy Future Farming Programme), it was on the back of one idea – that many of the best ideas in farming come from farmers. Whether it’s trying a new variety or breed, using a bit of kit in a different way, or responding quickly to unpredictable weather, trialling, testing and hands-on research is part of the day-job. But often, farmers are going it alone and what they learn stays on the farm. At the same time, researchers told us they wanted to work on projects that had real impact. For their work to be put into practice, rather than sitting in a weighty journal.

 

Working together

Through the network, groups of farmers, organic and conventional, can work directly with a researcher to design ‘field labs': on farm trials that can be set up quickly and are highly practical. The group decides on the topic and the researcher helps design a trial. Field labs can be on any issue that makes farm businesses more sustainable and resilient. Right now, there are over 40 field labs on topics including tomato sensors, potato pests and agroforestry on livestock farms. 

“

Supporting on-farm innovation is so important to the industry. We need to get serious, experiment and keep on experimenting

”

Paul Redmore, Farm Manager, Neston Park Farm, Wiltshire