Innovation for Agriculture has received funding to continue delivering the RASE Farm of the Future initiative in 2025 and 2026, which the charity delivers on behalf of the Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE).
The funding has been generously awarded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and is to focus on supporting farm businesses to introduce practices that enhance biodiversity, accelerate progress towards net zero emissions and improve farm business resilience.
The Farm of the Future initiative has been running since 2023, and has included demonstration days, farm walks and study tours, all of which have been free to access for farmers.
Deborah Crossan, Head of Soils and Natural Resources at Innovation for Agriculture, shares that the project has successfully brought together over 400 participants from a broad range of systems and farm sizes, to see and discuss technologies and innovative practices.
“Being able to provide the opportunity to see practices in action in a farm setting has proven invaluable in terms of providing real and relevant examples of how progressing towards net zero or increasing biodiversity can enhance farm business resilience,” she says.
“Having funding for another two years means we can reach more farmers and facilitate more discussions, which in turn will spark ideas for attendees of the Farm of the Future events to take home and apply to their own businesses.
With the funding awarded for 2025 and 2026, the project will deliver a further twelve events for farmers, taking place throughout the UK.
The first two events for 2025 have been confirmed:
- From Soil to Sustainability: Pathways to Net Zero Farming – taking place in Kent on 29th May
- Farming Forward: Innovation in Action – taking place at Wiltshire College & University Centre Lackham on 12th
Visit www.rase.org.uk/events/ to find details of these and other upcoming Farm of the Future events. These are open to anyone farming in the UK and are free of charge to attend, with booking essential as places are limited.