With the profitability, productivity and sustainability of agriculture key to future food security, Frontier Agriculture will highlight a range of solutions designed to help growers build greater resilience into their farm businesses.

As Environmental Crops Partner to Groundswell, Frontier’s specialist teams will be back for the eighth consecutive year with an impressive 31 demonstration plots on-stand.

Advisors will lead visitors on a tour of the vibrant mixtures suited to a range of land management objectives, while also delivering talks on the importance of heathy soils, funding opportunities, low carbon nutrition options, how to measure success with precision technology and the merits of integrating more regenerative approaches without sacrificing overall productivity.

There will be the chance to explore the integration of livestock in arable rotations through considered forage systems too, with visitors able to meet Shropshire farmer, Hayden Woolley and his pioneering self-shedding sheep.

“The overall message this year is about growing resilience,” explains Frontier commercial lead for sustainable crop production, Richard Barnes.

“The protection and restoration of our natural capital resources is key for the sustainability of our industry and food security, but to deliver on those we need to ensure we’re helping growers to build profitable, long-term farming systems.

“Farmers are experts in what they do, but we’re in an industry that means always having to navigate change, be it a result of new legislation or the impact of severe weather. 

“We’re looking forward to sharing everything we’re doing and developing to support growers with these challenges; advice, research, experience, market opportunities and access to leading products and services.”
“The overall message this year is about growing resilience.”
As well as helping with the delivery of practical solutions on farm, Frontier’s teams are working closely with leading food, feed and drink manufacturers to support more collaboration across the supply chain.

Richard continues: “Our supply chain partners have their own corporate sustainability responsibilities to meet for the products they produce. They are keen to learn from farmers about what this means at farm-scale – what works, what doesn’t – and we’re proud to help facilitate that. Groundswell is a great forum for these discussions.

“Mitigating against the challenges we know as well as those we can’t yet see requires collaboration. There is no one single answer, but the growing interactions we’re seeing from all parts of the supply chain means we’re working on finding the right solutions together.”

This year’s Groundswell also marks Frontier’s first large-scale national industry event following the launch of its rebrand , which saw its specialist divisions, Kings Crops, SOYL, Wells Agriculture, BCW Agriculture and Anglia Grain Services move to formally operate under the Frontier name to form a collective offer that is easier to access for its customers.


Environmental Crops Partner

Experts from Frontier’s environmental, sustainable crop production, and precision teams will once again host the ever-popular plot tours across the two-day event.

Mixtures this year include everything from wildflowers, forage and living mulch to wild bird seed, legume fallows and companion crops to aid the establishment of oilseed rape.

As well as the management of mixtures and the role of difference species, Frontier’s team will also look at agri-environmental scheme compliance, such as for growers needing to deliver against their SFI agreements, alongside eligibility within privately-funded programmes from the supply chain.

Richard explains: “We’re seeing more private businesses, such as food and drink manufacturers or water companies, looking to incentivise growers to carry out actions that increase natural capital or reduce emissions within the supply chain.

“We already have a number of these programmes up and running with some great success. The ability to combine different funding streams to support the adoption of more regenerative approaches offers flexibility to growers so they can build a model that delivers for the environment and production – but importantly which works for their individual farm.”

Further support is delivered through Frontier’s eight-step approach to navigating funding, which challenges growers to ask themselves a range of questions before committing to a programme. “It’s a really useful bit of guidance,” say Richard. “Every farm is different and everyone is on a different journey. It’s never a bad idea to take stock and really consider the options available, especially with more coming to market.”

Visitors to Groundswell can find Frontier Agriculture on stand DF D39.

The event takes place 2 nd  – 3 rd  July at Lannock Manor Farm, Hitchin SG4 7EE and tickets are available atgroundswellag.com 

 
Programme of activity
 

Cover crop plot tours – stand D39 in the Demo Field

* 2 nd  July | 11.00am and 3.00pm
* 3 rd  July | 10.00am and 2.00pm

 

Partner session with the Cover Crops Guide Steering Group:  Cover Crop Clinic: “I’m begging you for MERCI”

2 nd  July | The Earthworm Arms | 3.00pm – 3.55pm

Frontier environmental crops business development manager and technical advisor, Clive Wood, will join a range of experts for this interactive session looking at the most practical aspects of mix selection, management and delivering results.

 
BASIS Knowledge Trail

Visitors to the Frontier stand can participate in the BASIS Knowledge Trail and earn points for completing a series of questions.