“Agri-TechE’s Farmer First Innovation Group is where a group of farmers and growers regularly meet online to talk to technologists and innovators curated by Agri-TechE. It’s brilliant.”
Penelope Bossom is the managing partner of Overbury Enterprises. The family has been in Overbury for 300 years, with Penelope being the eighth generation on the farm. Her farm team is led by highly experienced Farm Manager Jake Freestone.
Overbury has always looked for innovations that would help the business.
Penelope and Jake are both part of Agri-Tech E’s Farmer First Innovation Group (FFIG), meeting regularly online with a panel of progressive farmers to share notes and talk to entrepreneurs with early stage agri technologies.
Many entrepreneurs, such as Kelly Price, CEO and Founder of Agreed, developers of a tool for remote Nutrient Use Efficiency monitoring, are among those that have benefited. Kelly comments that the company is looking to speak with wheat growers in the UK about an upcoming study on NUE in wheat and she found the FFIG helped them to frame their questions and understand what sort of information would be useful to farmers and the challenges in the field.
This is a good example of the mutual benefit of the Farmer First Innovation Group.
Farmers need to take the initiative
Penelope explains that it is vital for farmers to take the initiative when it comes to developing new tools and technologies.
“In order to make progress, as farmers we need to be better able to communicate the problems that require solutions, and for others to say ‘we can do this and this and this’.
“There is often a lack of understanding of the farmers’ or growers’ perspective and how they manage the almost infinite number of risks.
“It’s a lot more complex than many technologists think, as everything keeps changing throughout the growing cycle. Some years something could be a serious problem – to throw money at, to solve – then non-existent the next.
“There are so many variables and you have to balance them with the changing risks and costs the whole time.
“I think it’s brilliant how drone technology is getting better to save us time. However, I don’t think there will ever be a time when you don’t have to walk and look at your crop grow directly. With a few sensors in a field you can have a lot of data and sometimes be alerted to things the eye can’t see, but experience will still be needed to interpret and act; you cannot solve everything with one sensor and an algorithm.”
Mutual benefit
“Farmer First is brilliant; it’s so much better to hear about things early and talk directly to the entrepreneurs. I also find it interesting to learn from other growers on the call. By talking about one’s challenges you get to hear about how others are thinking about them.
“I have had experience of following many start-ups and talking with the founders as their new businesses grow and evolve, as I have previously made investments through EIS [the government backed Enterprise Investment scheme which raises venture capital]. I’ve been very impressed by some of the presentations.”
Framing discussion for Farmer First Innovation
At the FFIG, the businesses and researchers talk about what they have done so far and where they want to go and then pitch four or five questions to the farmers and growers to start the discussion.
“We are educating the entrepreneurs; for example, Jake’s vast experience with regenerative farming gives the group a farmer’s perspective of the carbon capture and biodiversity metrics that we need to measure.
“Agri-TechE has a key facilitating role by helping to frame the discussion; they will ask ‘is that the question you really want to ask?’ The entrepreneurs have got to understand the risks and help to lower our costs and make producing a crop cheaper and easier.”
Returning value to farmers
The farm at Overbury employed around 100 people during the Second World War but slowly this number decreased (as the farm ceased to operate the dairy, orchard and vegetable growing). Now everything is done with a skilled team of four with a sandwich year student and a part-time retired helper. Penelope sees the digitisation of agriculture as a chance to upskill the industry and revitalise it.
“I think our challenge is to ensure profit is returned to farmers. We want to know our customers and hope our customers want to know us.
“We all need to understand our data better. We are concerned about something we don’t fully understand and are worried how other people may use it.
“This is also an opportunity for young people, as there will be a lot of high value jobs for them in agriculture, once we get the technology working for us.”
Supporting entrepreneurs
“I firmly believe if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Progress is being made with carbon capture measurements, which hopefully will bring an increase in profits and benefits to us all.
“In the Innovation Group, we can see where technology is going. By chance I caught up recently with one of the start-ups that we had mentored and it was good to see the great progress they are making following the meeting.”
To join Agri-TechE and benefit from the FFIG, get in contact with Membership Manager Becky Dodds.
Improving NUE of wheat
If you are willing participate in a survey for Agreed to try to improve NUE of wheat, please reach out to Kelly at kelly.price@agreed.earth. Participation in the survey will be compensated and your views will help to develop this tool.
