“At the end of the day, I am a farmer, not a data analyst. We have access to a huge amount of data, and I would like to be able to analyse this in more depth to understand better what we need to change and then see that applied in practice,” says poultry farmer Peter Mason, farm manager of Uphouse Farm Ltd. He will be on the Farmers’ Panel of REAP 2022 with the theme ‘Making Sense of Agriculture’. There is a REAP 2022 bursary available for farmers and students.
“I am excited about the potential of data-led and data-driven decision-making for the sector and think we can do more in terms of using the data available. Collaboration is key to achieve higher efficiency in our sector and I believe we have a lot to learn from each other.”
REAP has been the launchpad for many successful collaborations and having a good representation of farmers to shape the discussions is key.
The farmer-tech session last year, in which early adopters discussed the challenges of introducing new tools and processes, was particularly insightful.
Why not come to REAP 2022 to learn about how the digital world is helping the agri industry make more informed decisions?
To enable as many farmers as possible to attend, the REAP 2022 bursary is available for farmers, and also to students in full time education in agriculture or a related science.
Farmer-centric innovation is core to the REAP conference and rate of technology adoption is increasing, judging by the speed in which cutting-edge agri-tech featured in the Start-Up Showcase is becoming operational in the field.
Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association is sponsoring the REAP 2022 bursary
The bursary for REAP 2022 is kindly sponsored by the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association (RNAA).
Mark Nicholas MBE, Managing Director of the RNAA, says: “The RNAA is a leading organisation in Norfolk for the promotion of and support to food production, farming and the countryside. Over 175 years we have harnessed the farming community and provided a connection with consumers through events such as the Royal Norfolk Show, the UK’s largest two-day agricultural Show, and the Norfolk Farming Conference. As a membership organisation we facilitate a community of growers, farmers, landowners and industry professionals to showcase the Agri-food sector.
“The RNAA is delighted to support the REAP Conference 2022 and the deep dive into the next phase of on-farm digital technology. We see knowledge exchange as a vital means to inform practitioners within the industry and to inspire new entrants. As a sponsor we are particularly keen to ensure that the conference is as accessible as possible to UK growers, farmers and those in full-time education in agriculture.”
Why not come to REAP 2022 to learn about how the digital world is helping the agri industry make more informed decisions?
Interested in the REAP 2022 bursary? Hear from others that have participated in previous REAP conferences:
Tom Pearson, Farmer at Manor Farm, Caxton, Cambs, comments: “Our farm has long term goals of sustaining and eventually increasing output while maximising biodiversity, carbon sequestration and net zero farming. We are always on the look-out for incremental and game changing technology that helps us reach that goal. Hearing from current start-ups in AgTech and farmer-led projects helps us to be early adopters and know how to act now to adapt our business to accommodate these new technologies and practices.”
Robert Gemmill, Farmer at Sayers Farm, Essex, agrees: “Being a small arable farmer in Essex, growing a small range of crops using traditional cultivation and drilling methods, the REAP conference will hopefully stimulate new thinking to progress the farm and business in the future.”
Like many of the events in Agri-Tech Week, REAP offers BASIS points, which endorses its educational value, something that is appreciated by Seamus Kelly, Tractor Driver at Besthorpe, Norfolk: “Innovation is important in a future career because its more about implementing solutions instead of working around our problems hoping they will go away on their own. I am attending the conference to update my knowledge and information with the view to make valuable contributions to our agriculture based projects.”
Jessica Nuboer, Student at Wageningen University, The Netherlands, comments: “I am keen to learn more about regenerative agricultural practices and its relation to conventional norms. As an industry, I believe agribusiness needs to heal topsoil, prevent chemical runoff and pollution of freshwater resources, and practice responsible agriculture. I believe that by attending the REAP conference, I will gain the relevant knowledge and networking opportunities to support my future.”
UK growers, farmers and those in full-time education in agriculture (or an agriculture-related discipline such as plant science, agri-engineering, environmental sciences etc.) are eligible to apply for a bursary, which reduces the delegate ticket to £60 (+VAT) per delegate.
REAP 2022: ‘Making Sense of Agriculture’ – Tuesday 8th November 2022
From yield mapping and precision livestock through to digital twins and cloud computing, at REAP 2022 we will be exploring the technology and looking at the implications from a field to landscape level. Making technology farm-centric is core to Agri-TechE’s mission so a key feature of the conference will be a panel of farmers and producers discussing the emerging technologies and future scenarios.
