5 reasons to come to Transition Live

Hundreds of farmers and growers have already booked their places for Farmers Weekly‘s Transition Live event at Cambridge University’s Park Farm on 9 May.

The event is part of Farmers Weekly’s Transition project, which aims to support farmers through the complex production, policy and environmental changes facing British agriculture.

See more: FW’s Transition Live unites farmers for talks on key issues

Here are five reasons why you should consider coming along. 

1. Get to grips with the biggest challenges facing UK farming

Transition Live features 15 headline speakers including farmers, researchers and policymakers, including secretary of state Steve Barclay.

They will set out the key issues facing UK farmers in a series of short sessions under three main headings – food production, business, and the environment.

Food production

• Optimising arable margins
• Securing the future for livestock production
• A smarter approach to crop production
• Adding value through collaboration
• Generating revenue from landscape-scale farmer customers

Environment

• Generating an income from natural capital on your farm
• Next steps in improving soil health
• Carbon farming: How to get it right
• Trees on the farm
• Making renewable energy work on your farm

Business

• How to take risk out of your farm business
• Land use change: Managing capital, cash and tax
• Long-term planning for family farming
• Diversification or specialisation: Which is best?
• How to improve and reward sustainable agriculture

2. Lively discussion panels to help farmers plan for the future

The headline speakers will be joined by panels of the UK’s leading consultants and advisers on the transition issue.

Together in panels, they will open up each headline topic area for questions and discussion to help farmers gain a better understanding of the challenges facing their business.

3. Hear how the host farmer slashed carbon emissions and cut costs

Transition Live visitors can hear how Cambridge University’s farm manager, Paul Kelly, has tackled challenges and improved the dairy herd’s carbon footprint while cutting costs and boosting efficiency.

The university’s Park Farm is a Linking Environment and Farming (Leaf) demonstration unit with a 230-cow Holstein-Friesian dairy herd, a 265ha contract-managed arable unit and a flock of 250 North Country Mules.

A recent audit of the dairy unit showed the carbon output has been cut from 1.27kg/kg fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) to 1.04kg/kg FPCM since 2019, when Mr Kelly joined the team.

He and his colleagues have achieved this with investments in slurry handling, housing improvements and the installation of a small anaerobic digester.

4. Network with hundreds of other farmers

Farmers from across the UK have already booked their places at Transition Live.

Every one is facing business, environmental and production challenges, and Transition Live offers the chance to meet up, compare notes and trade ideas.

5. Earn Basis CPD points

Transition Live is a Basis-registered event at which attendees can collect three continuous professional development (CPD) points.

There will be a designated area at the event where you can complete the necessary forms. Just bring along your Basis account number.