About YIF
YIF organises free to attend, informal visits and meetings between early career individuals from a variety of backgrounds with a shared interest in agricultural innovation, including farm practice, consultancy, technology development and research. Bringing the group together around innovative and pioneering locations we endeavour to generate conversation, inspire participants, new thinking and collaborations while also bridging the gap between research and production.
Since 2015 we’ve visited a range of organisations including the Earlham Institute sequencing DNA, a mushroom farm in Littleport, vegetable sorting and packing plant to an anaerobic digestor. You can find out more about these visits from our previous events blogs which you can find below as well as upcoming visits. In addition we hold an annual conference focusing on relevant topics and issues. Get a taste of our most recent one held in March 2020 by watching the video.
We recognise the need for greater connections between farmers and scientists. By making connections with scientists, farmers have the opportunity to have input into the research process, communicate the challenges they experience and to understand what research is being undertaken. For their part, scientists are mandated to demonstrate the impact of their research and be better connected with the end-users to enhance their studies. In many cases, a gulf exists between the research and producer communities, particularly in terms of vocabulary, culture and understanding each others’ drivers and challenges. YIF provides an opportunity to tackle this.
YIF is kindly sponsored by The Morley Agricultural Foundation (TMAF). TMAF is a charity which hosts and facilitates agricultural research and education, much of it on its own farm. The research is carried out by a number of bodies including the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB) and the John Innes Centre (JIC).
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Upcoming Events
Please find details of our upcoming events below. If you wish to find out more information and book your place on the visit please click on the ‘Book now’ button below the visit of your choice. You can register for more than more event in your email.
For any enquiries or if you would like to host a visit please contact fiona.rust@agri-tech-e.co.uk.
16th June 4pm – 5.30pm
In-person and virtual attendance options available (please specify how you want to attend when booking)
Gorgate Farms
Today cropping consists of around 100 ha of blackcurrants, 75 ha of arable land in the Higher Tier Countryside Stewardshop Scheme and a further 150 ha of grassland, lakes and woodland, much of which is SSSI ancient carr woodland. Last year they joined the Upper Wensum Farm Cluster Group made up of 24 farmers along the rare chalk-fed river Wensum and the group works together to improve biodiversity, soil & water quality across 10,000 ha.
Join us to learn more about:
- Blackcurrants – varieties, regen plans, climate change
- Wild bird seed just planted and flower rich margin – benefits of CSS schemes
- Pans for grassland restoration
- Pond restoration
- New cuttings & hedges
- Technology being implemented
- Early varieties and associated issues experienced this year
Bx (Bardsley England)
Bardsley England are the 2nd largest top fruit produced in the country. Bardsley pride themselves on being at the forefront of change, and have created a dedicated technology organisation known as “Bx” in order to bring technology and digitisation to work alongside nature to transform the way they grow.
Join us on 7th July to hear from Adam Slate, Orchard Innovation Manager, about the exciting work happening, the technology they are utilising and hopes for the future of orchards.
Careers in Agriculture - Unique, exciting & varied
Across the Agri-TechE membership are examples of the varied career opportunities which agriculture and agri-tech can offer. It is sometimes hard to know what those opportunities are though and how to get on the right career pathway.
We have interviewed individuals from companies from within the Agri-TechE membership to find out: what their job entails, their career path to this point, where they see their role developing in the future and their experience of agriculture as a sector. We also specifically asked all interviewees about their thoughts on joining agriculture from a non-ag background and what their advice would be to individuals in this position.
“Thank you Google!”
Rozzi Martin, Combinable Fungicide Campaign Manager, Bayer Crop Science
Without a Google search, Rozzi may not have ended up on the Bayer Graduate Scheme which has led her to the role she is in now. Find out more about how career journey and the opportunities gained through the Grad Scheme.
“I do feel very fortunate that there is such variability in my job role”
Tom McClelland, Precision Farming Manager, Allpress Farms Ltd
Tom’s role may see him still working on a farm but in a more diverse role which encompasses overseeing field trials, data collection and R&D.
“Now is a great time to immerse yourself”
Sam Clayton, AgRecruit, Founder and Chief Finder of People
Sam talks about agriculture as a tech sector, the opportunities for those looking for tech roles and how to make yourself attractive to an ag employer without an ag background.
Blogs and Past Event Reports
YIF is kindly sponsored by