On Monday, a group farmers involved in an innovative research programme met in Gloucestershire to share their results.

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The Farming Futures research programme is sponsored by the Prince of Wales' Duchy Originals brand and led by organic certification body the Soil Association. The novel approach of the programme is that it puts farmers in control, driving research and development according to their needs and seeking ways to improve productivity, quality and environmental performance in organic and low-input agriculture. Such an approach has been recommended by agriculturalists and food policy experts pushing for a more sustainable food system.  

The event at the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, gave farmers involved in the programme a chance to share their results.

Farmers including the Soil Association's chief executive Helen Browning have established 'field labs', allowing them to work together to research and tackle practical challenges.

One relevant approach being trialed by farmers was the reduction of antibiotic use in dairy herds, while maintaining herd welfare. Last week, a group of eminent scientists publishing a study on antibiotic resistance called for immediate action to curb the overuse of antibiotics in human medicine and animal agriculture, in order to tackle the growing threat of resistant 'superbugs'. On Tuesday, AHVLA revealed that birds on a poultry farm in East Anglia had tested positive for livestock associated MRSA.

The discovery in East Anglia was the first time MRSA has been detected in poultry in the UK. The drug-resistant bacteria were first discovered in farm animals in the country in 2011, when scientists found MRSA in milk.  

Farmers involved in the Farming Futures field lab group have trialed new ways to improve the health of dairy cows, cutting down on antibiotic use and improving animal welfare and farm profitability.  The farmers said they want to "preserve antibiotics for life or death situations." The group came up with practical ideas to tackle the problem including trialling uddermint, a herbal liniment cream that increases blood flow to the udder, thereby encouraging white blood cells to fight infection.

Speaking about the project, Helen Browning, said, "It has been fantastic to host a field lab on my farm, bringing together other farmers to share experiences. The farmers involved have said one of the highlights from the project has been meeting up and sharing ideas about how best to manage their herds for health and welfare. The use of farm records gives the discussions a firm foundation, and we are all monitoring the results of what we try more accurately now. This is work in progress – and very much action research rather than formal scientific trials – but the results so far are really encouraging."

At field lab meetings the group share their herd data (including somatic cell counts, number of cases of mastitis, number of cows receiving antibiotic treatment and use of uddermint), discuss points which arise from this and learn about the management techniques on the host farm. The most recent findings from the data of three herds showed that the average number of antibiotic treatments had halved since the beginning of the field lab process.

The field lab model has received praise from farmers who have questioned the current research paradigm. The model brings together a small group of likeminded farmers seeking to solve a problem. It is an adaptation of DIY approaches to practical research pioneered in developing countries and now widely used by farmers, notably in France and the United States.

Last month, experts from the Centre for Agroecology and Food Security gathered in Parliament to warn policy makers that the current output of the 'research industry' is geared almost exclusively towards profit making, and is ignoring the needs and wishes of farmers who are on the receiving end of research. The agroecologists called for research allocations that cross traditional sectoral boundaries and are commissioned with the public good in mind – to bring about social and environmental benefits.