Growers are invited to help set the agenda for eight monitor farms aimed at sharing best practice with a focus on business improvement.

The HGCA Monitor Farm programme is billed as the first large-scale, farmer-led initiative of its kind in England and Wales. Growers attending open days at the farms will be able help the steering group for each farm decide the direction of the Monitor Farm project.

The network of monitor farms represents a range of business models and farming systems. But all face the same challenges and need to find rapid solutions to the same daily issues confronting their peers and the wider industry.

“The potential for impact in the industry is huge, because this is the first farmer-led, farmer-centred and farmer- driven business improvement initiative to be delivered on this scale in England and Wales.”
Richard Laverick, HGCA head of regional development

Each farm will be in the scheme for three years, hosting meetings of local growers to share best practice and knowledge. Meetings are open to all cereals and oilseeds growers.

The first open days are being held during June and July (see Opening meeting dates below).

The monitor farmers, their steering group and HGCA arable business groups will benchmark activity and peer review on-farm decision-making processes.

The goal is to improve business performance for participating farms and local growers, too.

Richard Laverick, HGCA head of regional development, says: “The potential for impact in the industry is huge, because this is the first farmer-led, farmer-centred and farmer- driven business improvement initiative to be delivered on this scale in England and Wales.”

The underlying premise is that farmers learn best from fellow farmers, says Mr Laverick. “The farmers decide the agenda and programme of activity for each site, with a clear aim to achieve a demonstrable improvement in business performance over the three years of the programme.”

The monitor farmers are: Phil Meadley, Driffield, Yorkshire; Mike Daniells, Louth, Lincolnshire; Jo Franklin, Royston, Hertfordshire; Tom Bradshaw, Colchester, Essex; Julian Gold, Wantage, Oxfordshire; James Lee, Crediton, Devon; Rob Fox, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire and Mark Wood, Fawley, Herefordshire.

To attend, email: 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 and Colchester and Royston: east@hgca.ahdb.org.uk.