The AHDB is looking for arable farmers across England and Wales to join its Monitor Farm programme, which is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2024.

The farmer-led initiative brings together groups of like-minded farmers who wish to improve their business by sharing farming practices and performance data with a network of host farms.

See also: AHDB backlash to Channel 4 anti-beef programme

Monitor Farm meetings provide the opportunity to find and share challenges and solutions that help drive innovation and increase productivity within the farming industry.

Equally important, it provides the opportunity for farmers and growers to meet up and socialise with each other.

Improve performance

With economic pressures mounting, including the end of the Basic Payment Scheme this year, finding new ways to improve performance and profitability is more important than ever for farmers.

One way to do this is to pool knowledge with other, similar farming enterprises, which the programme facilitates.

Monitor Farm hosts work together with their local AHDB Knowledge Exchange manager to host four to six meetings each year.

During the three years of being a Monitor Farm host, there is a focus on achieving real progress in business management, productivity, competitiveness and environmental management.

Monitor Farms try out innovative ideas, all with the support of the AHDB and guidance from industry experts. The results (good, bad or indifferent) are shared with other local farmers.

Recruitment of hosts stopped during the pandemic, so the AHDB is catching up with the backlog and looking to attract more arable farm applicants.

For more information about becoming a Monitor Farm click the AHDB’s online application portal.