What would you want to see in a new knowledge exchange platform?

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
TBH all this technical output makes my head hurt.

In fairness, I have reached the age where I am no longer really interested as I leave it up to son to make management decisions. We find an invaluable source is talking to neighbouring dairy boys & girls as it makes it much more specific to our locale

Mind you, back in the day, I used to use ADAS a lot ............. when it was free
 
TBH all this technical output makes my head hurt.

In fairness, I have reached the age where I am no longer really interested as I leave it up to son to make management decisions. We find an invaluable source is talking to neighbouring dairy boys & girls as it makes it much more specific to our locale

Mind you, back in the day, I used to use ADAS a lot ............. when it was free
Thanks - its that peer-peer experience of 'what works on farms near me' that we are trying to capture with Farm-PEP
 
You're asking on here how to make an online forum for exchanging knowledge between farmers? Surely you can see the irony in that...
We are working with TFF ... the idea is to try to find ways to distill and connect the knowledge that is shared here with info & resources from elsewhere ... in a way that the knowledge can be shared more broadly. The new Resources section on TFF is a step towards this.
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
I've never quite understood whats in it for farmers to exchange knowledge anyway. If you've invented a new way of growing wheat more profitably, why on earth would you give your competitors that information? Apart from which the only people to benefit in the long term from such knowledge exchange are the consumers, not the producers. If production is increased as a result of knowledge exchange, or costs lowered then market prices can be driven even lower by the processors and retailers, and we know from experience thats exactly what they will do.

Has farming still not worked out that increasing productivity is not (in industry terms) the way to increased profitability?
 
I've never quite understood whats in it for farmers to exchange knowledge anyway. If you've invented a new way of growing wheat more profitably, why on earth would you give your competitors that information? Apart from which the only people to benefit in the long term from such knowledge exchange are the consumers, not the producers. If production is increased as a result of knowledge exchange, or costs lowered then market prices can be driven even lower by the processors and retailers, and we know from experience thats exactly what they will do.

Has farming still not worked out that increasing productivity is not (in industry terms) the way to increased profitability?
Exchanging knowledge doesn't just have to be about producing more, also about being more profitable ... and more sustainable. Luckily there are a good number of farmers who are happy to share their knowledge else sites like this wouldn't work ... and many people realise that we are better off working and learning together.

The reality is that it is very difficult to come up with a new way of doing something alone that you can really have confidence in that it works across years and situations.
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Hi Daniel, you were in my year at Thomas mills? Welcome to the forum.
This medium is so powerful. Good luck with your project.
Rob Thurkettle
MD, Sulky Burel UK
 

caveman

Member
Location
East Sussex.
Exchanging knowledge doesn't just have to be about producing more, also about being more profitable ... and more sustainable. Luckily there are a good number of farmers who are happy to share their knowledge else sites like this wouldn't work ... and many people realise that we are better off working and learning together.

The reality is that it is very difficult to come up with a new way of doing something alone that you can really have confidence in that it works across years and situations.
Seems as if the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service is defunct.
 
Seems as if the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service is defunct.
The original function and modus operandi of the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service is long gone I'm afraid ... but ADAS is still very much alive and kicking - this year is our 75th anniversary.

Working with farmers and learning from practices of innovative farmers, then sharing more widely after testing across farms & years, was very much what ADAS did in its heyday. This is partly what we are looking to support with Farm-PEP.
 

4course

Member
Location
north yorks
I've never quite understood whats in it for farmers to exchange knowledge anyway. If you've invented a new way of growing wheat more profitably, why on earth would you give your competitors that information? Apart from which the only people to benefit in the long term from such knowledge exchange are the consumers, not the producers. If production is increased as a result of knowledge exchange, or costs lowered then market prices can be driven even lower by the processors and retailers, and we know from experience thats exactly what they will do.

Has farming still not worked out that increasing productivity is not (in industry terms) the way to increased profitability?
no farmers havnt and probably never will work it out ,im one who has been trying to increase productivity for a lifetime and yet ive still not learnt. The old adage that I heard as a young lad 50 years ago that a farmers worst enemy is another farmer has a fair bit of truth in it
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
More than one way to skin a cat. There are lots of policy around you can take advantage of. But you need experience of those who have been through the process.

Hence ADAS.

I get what's in it for the knowledge consumer, my point is more what's in it for the knowledge producer? Why give your hard earned experience away for free?
 
I get what's in it for the knowledge consumer, my point is more what's in it for the knowledge producer? Why give your hard earned experience away for free?


There's more to farming than just producing.

There's various grants, upcoming ELMs, building planning, environmental planning and design, energy, regulation planning and design concerning say lagoons.

You see low level information on topics on here but not the meat of applications and regulations - the experience to save you money.
 
I get what's in it for the knowledge consumer, my point is more what's in it for the knowledge producer? Why give your hard earned experience away for free?


As regards production.

I don't know. Can see it both ways. What I would like to see is farmers creating Co-operative mills, milk, cheese, butter, meats, retail, markets etc.

Verticle integration with profits coming back to farmers and farmers gaining productive work within other industries. But that requires good character to ensure members actually get rewards and are not ripped off.

RT is the opposite of what is required.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,285
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top