AHDB is currently looking for a new group of Monitor Farm hosts to take the programme forward, as the first projects draw to an end next summer. AHDB said its monitor farm programme has benefitted hundreds of farmers in England and Wales over the past three years, and is looking to keep the programme running.

New Monitor Farms will be appointed in spring 2017 and will hold meetings for three years from summer 2017 to 2020.

On Monday, Tim Isaac, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Head of Knowledge Exchange, commented, “The timescale for these farms is really important. During this period we will see trade and policy negotiations taking place and should get a better idea of what the referendum will mean for farmers. The Monitor Farms provide a unique opportunity for farmers to access independent expertise on both a business and agronomic level, and discuss potential solutions to shared challenges.”

The underlying principle of the Monitor Farm programme is that it is farmer-led and farmer-driven, with farms being chosen which are representative of enterprises and conditions in their local area.

Discussing the type of farmers needed, Mr Isaac said, “Open-minded farmers looking to further their business are particularly well-suited to being a Monitor Farmer. We find that the more the host and the rest of the group are willing to put into the project, the more everybody benefits.”

AHDB is particularly looking for farmers who want to:

• Boost technical performance, profit & long-term sustainability
• Manage costs of production and benchmark against similar businesses
• Share knowledge and influence best practice within their local area
• Forge relationships with the wider industry

Richard Meredith, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager for the West and Wales, added: “The Monitor Farm groups also have the opportunity to test new technologies and strategies on a real commercial farm and to measure the results first hand.”

Farmers participating in the current Monitor Farms identified important changes made on farm as a direct result of being part of the programme. A survey found that 94% of the attendees valued the opportunity to share experience and openly discuss issues in a non-commercial environment and the majority reported an improvement in their business decision-making.

MF Improvements Made

Brian Barker, who finishes his three year term as a Monitor Farmer in 2017, said, “Being a Monitor Farmer has been really good for my business – it’s inspired me to analyse key financial and agronomic issues and it has brought together a great group of local farmers that will continue to share problems and solutions even after the project here has ended. I can’t imagine a better way of helping arable farms to progress.”

For more information,  interested farmers should contact their regional AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager by 31 December 2016. The regional managers can be contacted here:

North: Judith Stafford, judith.stafford@ahdb.org.uk, 07981 55663
East Midlands: Harry Henderson, harry.henderson@ahdb.org.uk, 07964 974465
West & Wales: Richard Meredith, richard.meredith@ahdb.org.uk, 07717 493015
East Anglia: Teresa Meadows, teresa.meadows@ahdb.org.uk, 024 7647 8815
South East: Paul Hill, paul.hill@ahdb.org.uk, 07964 243699
South West: Philip Dolbear, philip.dolbear@ahdb.org.uk, 07964 255614