The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has announced that eight new farms are joining its Cereals & Oilseeds (C&O) Monitor Farm programme.
C&O Monitor Farms are a nationwide network of farmer-led, farmer-driven communities centred around real working farms.
The host farmers are committed to sharing information, ideas and best practices to improve both their own and their peers’ businesses.
The new monitor farms and their launch dates are as follows:
- Kingsclere Monitor Farm, Tadley, Hampshire. Launch: June 5, 2024;
- Pilton Monitor Farm, Pilton, Shepton Mallet, Somerset. Launch: June 13, 2024;
- North Yorkshire Monitor Farm, Yarm, North Yorkshire. Launch: June 17, 2024;
- Leverton Monitor Farm, Spilsby, Lincolnshire. Launch: June 18, 2024;
- Hereford Monitor Farm, Ledgemoor, near Woebly, Herefordshire. Launch, July 4, 2024;
- Camborne Monitor Farm, Camborne, Cornwall. Launch: July 4, 2024;
- Altcar Moss Monitor Farm, Lydiate, Merseyside. Launch: July 4, 2024;
- Kent Monitor Farm, Hythe, Kent. Launch: July 9, 2024.
Monitor farmers host a series of open meetings to discuss current and locally relevant topics, often using their own businesses as case studies and inviting industry expertise along to support discussions.
AHDB C&O head of engagement, Ana Reynolds, said: “We had a great response to the recruitment campaign. I am absolutely delighted to welcome the eight new Monitor Farms and wish them every success during their tenure.
“It takes a special mix of qualities to be a monitor farmer, including a willingness to scrutinise every aspect of your business and talk about it, and an appetite for trying innovative approaches.
“The new farmers all share these attributes, and we’re looking forward to working with them.”
Monitor Farms
AHDB said the latest additions to the Monitor Farm network feature a diverse range of farmer and farming systems.
Pilton, Hereford and Camborne are mixed farms, with Hereford having a large beef operation, Pilton having cattle and 480,000 chickens and Camborne’s 14,000 laying hens being complemented by the arable side of the business.
For the first time, there is an organic Monitor Farm, Kingsclere Monitor Farm in Tadley, where farmer Tim May has converted gradually from conventional farming.
At Altcar Moss, situated on peatland north of Liverpool, farmers Simon, Lisa and Cameron Edwards intend to look at alternative cropping that will suit their land, particularly given the recent wet weather.
Farm manager at Hereford Monitor Farm, Chris Greenaway, said he is looking for ward to the Monitor Farm experience.
“It’s a way of interrogating our approach and finding things we can improve which can only be a good thing,” he said.
“I took on a business that was financially sound but needed to make changes to make the most of where the future of farming is going.
“We now need to monitor and scrutinise the decisions we have made to ensure we are going in the right direction.”
Newbury, Wisbech, Chathill, Salisbury, Ripon, Wainfleet and the earlier Hereford Monitor Farm are all due to finish their three-year terms this year.
