Local growers are being invited to help shape the direction of HGCA’s eight new Monitor Farm programmes at the first farm meetings this June and July.

Each of the new monitor farmers will introduce local growers to details of the farm’s operation and the business review of the whole farm. Most importantly, the grower-led meeting will help the steering group for each farm to set the agenda and decide the direction of the Monitor Farm project; analysing the business and selecting priority issues that will form the focus of business development activity over the next three years. The meetings are open to all cereals and oilseeds growers.

“This is a unique farmer-led, farmer-centred and farmer-driven programme that will help the arable industry to meet the challenge of producing more with less; fine-tuning costs of production and making better use of the markets,” said Richard Laverick, HGCA Head of Regional Development.

“The industry needs reliable and innovative tools for developing business efficiency and building resilience. HGCA’s network of farmer-driven Monitor Farms is the biggest initiative of its kind in the UK, offering growers an unrivalled opportunity to share excellence, to review decision-making and to see real practical solutions for everyday farming issues. I would encourage all arable farmers to join one of the opening meetings and to get involved in setting the direction for the Monitor Farm’s programme.”

The opening meeting dates are:

• · 20 June – Wantage
• · 20 June – Leamington Spa
• · 24 June – Royston
• · 26 June – Colchester
• · 1 July – Driffield
• · 3 July – Herefordshire
• · 8 July – Louth
• · 10 July – Crediton

Growers interested in attending should email their HGCA Regional Manager at the addresses given below:

• · Wantage and Crediton: south@hgca.ahdb.org.uk
• · Leamington Spa and Herefordshire: west@hgca.ahdb.org.uk
• · Driffield and Louth: north@hgca.ahdb.org.uk
• · Colchester and Royston: east@hgca.ahdb.org.uk

The Monitor Farm model is based on the sharing of best practice and the challenge of decision-making through group discussion. This network of HGCA Monitor Farms representing different business models and farming systems will face the same challenges and need to find rapid solutions to the same daily issues confronting their peers and the wider industry.

Each Monitor Farmer will be in the scheme for three years, hosting meetings of local growers to share best practice and knowledge. The monitor farmers, their steering group and associated HGCA Arable Business Groups will deliver benchmarking activity and peer review of decision-making on farm. While highlighting cost of production and efficiency, this will also bring a new focus on day-to-day farm decision-making.

Visit hgca.com/monitorfarms for more information.