21 June 2011

A national network of farm energy demonstration units was unveiled at Cereals 2011  by Masstock SMART Farming to provide farmers across the country with the most reliable, professional information and advice on every aspect of energy crop production and utilisation.

The three initial farms – at Drax in Yorkshire, Market Drayton in Shropshire and Cirencester on the Cotswolds – bring the company’s R&D-led SMART Farm knowledge transfer network to more than 30 locations throughout England, Wales and Scotland.  In the same way as the existing arable and grassland SMART Farms, the energy sites are being developed in association with leading UK suppliers and specialists.

Launching the network with Shropshire farm host, International Energy Crops at the Show, Masstock business development manager, David Neale said: “With Feed-in Tariffs, Renewable Heat Incentives and other opportunities, farm energy in the UK is at a hugely exciting but rapidly changing stage in its development. What farmers need more than anything else is good, reliable information and advice on the practicality of the opportunities available and how best to integrate them with existing enterprises for greatest value and least risk.  

“This is precisely what our Energy SMART Farms are designed to do. In addition to the unit already announced this spring with Drax Power, our initial network involves the home farm of the country’s leading biomass producer near Market Drayton and an innovative, self-designed and built anaerobic digester unit on an intensive Cotswolds livestock and arable business. 

“Together the farms will explore and demonstrate all aspects of farm energy production and utilisation from short rotation coppice, miscanthus, combinable crop straws, maize and grass silages and other energy crops as well as livestock wastes. The accent throughout will be on cutting through complexity and confusion to provide the most practical and profitable guidance on land selection, crop and variety choice, agronomy, marketing and on-farm utilisation, in particular.”

“Before anyone rushes into lengthy farm energy commitments or large investments they need to look long and hard at what’s actually involved, how it fits with their existing enterprises, the likely returns and what else they might do with their resources,” stressed Derbyshire farmer and Masstock Farm Consultancy renewable energy specialist, Roger Hellawell at the launch. “Especially so with changing official attitudes to the technologies involved and supports available.

“At this very early stage in the green energy business it‘s essential to understand the jargon, evaluate the alternatives, and negotiate as hard as with any other farm investment or output. And to do this taking a long view of the farming business, its particular needs and other development opportunities and priorities.

“My consultancy colleagues and I firmly believe farmers have to be on the front foot as far as farm energy is concerned, working with unbiased specialists they trust to evaluate the assets they have and understand the current and future alternatives open to them.

“We see the Energy SMART Farms as providing a much-needed source of technical farm energy knowledge and support across the country in exactly the way established SMART Farming network does for food crop planning and management.”