We’re pleased to confirm that for those of your interested in adopting climate friendly regenerative farming practices on farm with a view to generating carbon certification with Agreena, you can now make use of a range of reports in system.
Thomas Gent, Market Lead for Agreena UK says “Agreena operates a world leading carbon farming program, working with arable farmers across the UK who are implementing climate friendly practices such as optimisation of nitrogen use and cover cropping. Agreena is able to work with you to generate carbon certificates which are a tradable asset providing a new income stream. Agreena is delighted to have formed a collaboration with Gatekeeper in order to make the data collection and onboarding process simple and easy.”
If you’re already a Gatekeeper user you can access these reports in the Gatekeeper Analysis Module which include Agreena Field List, Field Strategy and Soil Information.
For those not already using Gatekeeper and would like to explore your options for getting started please speak with our knowledgeable sales team on 01594 545000 or email farmplansales@proagrica.com
The team was excited to exhibit at Cereals 2023 this year, the biggest occasion in the arable calendar. The event showcased the latest in arable farming as well as provided the opportunity to listen to talks by leading industry experts and served as a chance to have some very interesting conversations.
On the stand, we were able to talk to many farmers and agriculture businesses, big and small, about our farm management software and IT solutions and how they can transform the way farm businesses are run.
The hot topic that came up time and time again in our conversations with farmers was rural connectivity. Most of the concerns raised were around how farmers can be supported to move their businesses towards a digital future when rural connectivity is still poor in some areas.
Poor connectivity is not an obstacle to digital farm management
The team had many discussions around the use of our farm management tools such as Farmplan Business Cloud (FBC) and Gatekeeper Cloud (GKC) with many farmers asking if poor connectivity would be an obstacle to using them.
We are happy to reassure any farmers looking to adopt our digital tools that it isn’t. It may surprise you to learn that they only require an internet speed of 1MBps (1 Megabyte per second) to run, which means that even with relatively poor or slow connectivity, farmers can still manage their farm businesses and collaborate with stakeholders in real time.
While digital products like FBC and GKC do require an internet connection to run, they don’t need a lot of speed or bandwidth. For farmers who are worried about this issue, this is what we’d like you to know. If you are already doing your taxes online as per the MTD (Making Tax Digital) regulations, you already have the connectivity that’s necessary to run FBC and GKC.
Help with the transition to digital farm management
We’ve been developing farm data management solutions for almost 50 years and 65% of our team have more than a decade of agricultural experience. In fact, more than 8,500 farms, professionals, and agriculture businesses trust our digital farm management products.
We understand the issues that farmers face, and we know that rural connectivity is an important one. That’s why we work closely and patiently with customers to address any concerns while helping them transition smoothly to digital farm management.
The benefits of adopting cloud-based tools
Instead of getting by with cumbersome spreadsheets and paper records, our cloud-based tools like FBC and GKC allow farmers to input, access, and share data in real time, from any location, which makes for a much easier and flexible way of working.
Imagine having more time to focus on the farm tasks that matter, instead of spending it on onerous data entry. Being able to access and share data from any device, whether you’re in the office or the field. Seamlessly sharing data with your accountant or agronomist. Having the ability to analyse your business in detail so you know which areas of your business are performing well and where there’s room for improvement. It’s all possible with tools like GKC.
Our customers overwhelmingly tell us that once we’ve helped them with the transition to digital farm management, they’ve never looked back, and it’s allowed their businesses to thrive. Many of those same customers are located in areas with poor connectivity, but it hasn’t held them back.
Get connected to future proof your farm business
In uncertain and challenging times for farmers, improving productivity, profitability, and sustainability is essential for future success. With our range of farm management tools, farmers can future proof their farm businesses even without a super-fast internet connection.
For farmers who are considering migrating to digital farm management, our expert team are on hand to offer tailored farm-focused help and advice, call 01594 545000 or email farmplansales@proagrica.com
Proagrica has announced its sponsorship of the renowned Nuffield Scholarship, a UK scholarship focussing on nurturing innovation in the agriculture sector and driving positive change.
Caroline Davis, COO at Proagrica, says the company is excited to create opportunity for individuals within agriculture. “We are delighted to partner with Nuffield and be able to provide opportunity to passionate and talented individuals to make a difference in the world of agriculture. The agriculture and food sectors are facing tremendous challenges and this scholarship is the right platform to foster problem-solving innovations.”
In this, Proagrica’s inaugural year, the successful candidate as part of their research, will explore opportunities for US and UK farmers and growers to integrate nature-based solutions into their farming practices.
Each year, Nuffield Scholarships are awarded to approximately 20 individuals working in farming, horticulture, forestry, or any supporting industry. Each scholar spends at least eight weeks abroad to research a chosen topic. At the end of the scholarship, they produce a 10,000 word report which is presented at the annual Nuffield Farming Conference. Their valuable research adds to the ever-growing agricultural knowledge base and many scholars go on to become respected thought-leaders in the sector.
Mike Vacher, Director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust, welcomed Proagrica’s sponsorship. “Nuffield inspires people to make a difference in the world of agriculture. This is achieved by developing those individuals who will shape the future of agriculture and of our local and global communities. We are delighted that Proagrica is sponsoring a scholar to help us lead positive change in farming and food.”
For anyone interested in applying for this prestigious scholarship, applications must be submitted by 31st July. Following an interview process for shortlisted applicants, new scholars will be announced in late October.
Gatekeeper Web Grower is the next generation in handheld recording allowing you not only to view field records but also capture inspection notes, create work plans and complete them whilst on the move. This is all managed through a web exchange process that passes data to and from your main Gatekeeper site. When you are back in the office you will be able to import the recorded data by simply clicking a button.
*Web Grower is available with a Gatekeeper subscription.
What are the benefits of Web Grower?
View field records including previous applications
Share and collaborate with colleagues on the farm
Confirm work done
Add crop inspection notes
Gatekeeper Web Grower will operate on all current smartphones, tablets and web-enabled devices that are able to run HTML.5 and have JAVA enabled.
If you would like to get started today, call our sales team on 0159454500 or complete a call back form and we will be in touch shortly.
Start your journey towards simple, fast crop recording on the go.
Becky Roper at Flanesford Priory explains more about their latest diversification project and how it has benefited their business.
Gatekeeper, Farmplan’s crop management software, is designed to enhance understanding of crop performance, helping farmers to improve yields and make informed decisions… or is it? For some farmers across the UK, Gatekeeper has become a useful tool for something a little different!
With Gatekeeper’s mapping and precision farming capabilities, the software can digitalise a maze layout in relation to the field it will be drilled in to. Via plot points and geo-referencing the maze artwork, the design of the maize maze can be converted into a data boundary, whichcan then be interpreted by a number of the industries in-cab control terminals.
Our team have been busy working with some of our customers to bring a range of artistic layouts to life recently.
Watch the below video to find out more about Flanesford Priory’s latest diversification project.
Maize Maze
Find out why you should start your maize diversification project today!
In 2006, Gatekeeper boasted the only UK software with integration to the John Deere GS2 2100/2600 controllers. Since then, the two companies have launched a raft of successful collaborations with John Deere’s later in-cab controllers and online offerings.
Now, Gatekeeper will once again spearhead the industry, as it launches the integration with My John Deere’s work planning module this month.
The move will see Gatekeeper showcase its versatility again, as it will become the first software provider in the UK to integrate with John Deere’s Operation Centre Work Planning API, which allows the export of work plans.
Andrew Wolff, Arable Product Manager at Farmplan, says of the development: “Now, users in Gatekeeper can add, amend and pass on Gatekeeper work plans wirelessly to the My John Deere system.”
“This completely streamlines the workflow process, from recommendations to work plans and having it checked by operators in My John Deere before then sending it to the cabs – it’s a real turning point.”
But even beyond ease of use and time saved, Andrew says there are huge operational advantages: “Work plans issued from the office can now be modified on the fly by operators dealing with the ever-changing working environment, and that’s going to change the entire system for the better – I’m looking forward to seeing the positive difference this will make to every step of the process.”
To learn more about Gatekeeper, Farmplan’s crop recording and field management solutions for growers of all sizes, agronomists and consultants, please click here or contact the team on 01594 545000 / farmplansales@proagrica.com
Arable carbon credits from a Yorkshire farm sold to RELX as part of Carbon Bank initiative
The world’s first arable carbon credits verified by BCarbon have been sold in a major new initiative that could reverse climate change by using farmland to pull harmful carbon from the atmosphere.
Unlike many carbon credit programmes, the project by UK-based Future Food Solutions sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and restores soil health by storing carbon in the ground, enabling farmers to combat climate change while continuing to feed the world.
Carbon credit trading is expected to hit $50bn dollars by 2030 and the Future Food Solutions scheme could unlock millions of tonnes of sequestered carbon credits by utilising farmland around the world.
The first tonnes of verified carbon credits have been sold to RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers, after being generated by a single farm on the Yorkshire Wolds in the UK.
Working with the British Consulate in Houston, USA, Future Food Solutions partnered with independent verification body BCarbon, which is based at Rice University in Texas, to create the Sustainable Futures Carbon Bank to sell carbon credits on the voluntary carbon market.
Through the Carbon Bank, farmers are encouraged to grow cover crops that pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. Cover crops are growing in popularity for many reasons in the UK and by planting between the regular food crop rotation, they don’t impact on the amount of food UK farmers can produce.
We are passionate about helping our customers improve productivity, profitability and sustainability whilst creating a better everyday life for farmers.
How does it work?
Future Food Solutions conducts soil analysis before the cover crop is sown and then uses a series of rigorous tests to determine exactly how many tonnes of carbon has been removed from the atmosphere.
Much of this field data has been acquired in conjunction with Yorkshire Water and Proagrica, part of RELX, who have partnered with Future Food Solutions on catchment scale farmer engagement programmes in the UK.
“We are delighted to have played a part in the Carbon Bank”, says Jamie O’Sullivan, Group Managing Director at Proagrica. “We have adapted our farm management software, Gatekeeper, to enable the capture of essential field data needed to give confidence that the system works. This data is fully permissioned by the scheme participants through our software. The opportunity for farming to fulfil its potential as a positive force not only to address climate change but to continue to supply safe, nutritious food has been brought much closer with this project. And we are proud that our parent company, RELX, is the first to purchase this innovative carbon credit as part of our global effort to achieve Net Zero”.
Although sequestration will vary because of weather, cover crop and soil type, on average a hectare of cover crop will deliver 2-3 tonnes of carbon to trade. Farmers then receive money through the sale of their carbon credits.
Who buys the carbon?
The carbon credits are sold to organisations looking to offset their carbon footprint. More than a third of the world’s largest publicly traded companies have already made Net Zero pledges and demand for quality carbon removal credits is increasing.
Steve Cann from Future Food Solutions says: “This is a step change in carbon removal providing a real opportunity for organisations to reduce their carbon footprint. The Carbon Bank offers global reach as soil stock in all farming environments around the world could provide significant capacity to become a huge carbon sink.
“The Carbon Bank means farmers in the UK and beyond can provide a solution to one of the biggest climate change issues, highlighted at COP26 in Glasgow.
“Plus, if we do it right, food gets better. Water and flood management improves because the cover crops transform below ground soil structure, which in turn helps to reduce leaching and water run-off and because carbon is being sequestered back into the soil from the atmosphere, the planet starts to heal as well”.
“We can get everybody to contribute by eating smarter and actively choosing to buy food products sourced from land where this remedial process is being undertaken by farmers.”
First credits from Yorkshire
The first verified carbon credits have come from Tom Mellor’s farm High above Bridlington, in the North Yorkshire Wolds.
Tom says: “Farming is about achieving a balance, similar to the challenge the planet is facing, with regard to climate change. If we take out more than we put back in, future generations will pay the price”
Tom also commented “Knowing now that farming can be the solution, not the problem is encouraging us to rethink both our practices and mindset”
The Sustainable Futures Carbon Bank aims to bring 10,000 carbon credits to the voluntary market in the next 12 months from other farms involved in the scheme across the UK and EU.
Arable carbon credits from a Yorkshire farm sold to RELX as part of Carbon Bank initiative
The world’s first arable carbon credits verified by BCarbon have been sold in a major new initiative that could reverse climate change by using farmland to pull harmful carbon from the atmosphere.
Unlike many carbon credit programmes, the project by UK-based Future Food Solutions sequesters carbon from the atmosphere and restores soil health by storing carbon in the ground, enabling farmers to combat climate change while continuing to feed the world.
Carbon credit trading is expected to hit $50bn dollars by 2030 and the Future Food Solutions scheme could unlock millions of tonnes of sequestered carbon credits by utilising farmland around the world.
The first tonnes of verified carbon credits have been sold to RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers, after being generated by a single farm on the Yorkshire Wolds in the UK.
Working with the British Consulate in Houston, USA, Future Food Solutions partnered with independent verification body BCarbon, which is based at Rice University in Texas, to create the Sustainable Futures Carbon Bank to sell carbon credits on the voluntary carbon market.
Through the Carbon Bank, farmers are encouraged to grow cover crops that pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the soil. Cover crops are growing in popularity for many reasons in the UK and by planting between the regular food crop rotation, they don’t impact on the amount of food UK farmers can produce.
How does it work?
Future Food Solutions conducts soil analysis before the cover crop is sown and then uses a series of rigorous tests to determine exactly how many tonnes of carbon has been removed from the atmosphere.
Much of this field data has been acquired in conjunction with Yorkshire Water and Proagrica, part of RELX, who have partnered with Future Food Solutions on catchment scale farmer engagement programmes in the UK.
“We are delighted to have played a part in the Carbon Bank”, says Jamie O’Sullivan, Group Managing Director at Proagrica. “We have adapted our farm management software, Gatekeeper, to enable the capture of essential field data needed to give confidence that the system works. This data is fully permissioned by the scheme participants through our software. The opportunity for farming to fulfil its potential as a positive force not only to address climate change but to continue to supply safe, nutritious food has been brought much closer with this project. And we are proud that our parent company, RELX, is the first to purchase this innovative carbon credit as part of our global effort to achieve Net Zero”.
Although sequestration will vary because of weather, cover crop and soil type, on average a hectare of cover crop will deliver 2-3 tonnes of carbon to trade. Farmers then receive money through the sale of their carbon credits.
Who buys the carbon?
The carbon credits are sold to organisations looking to offset their carbon footprint. More than a third of the world’s largest publicly traded companies have already made Net Zero pledges and demand for quality carbon removal credits is increasing.
Steve Cann from Future Food Solutions says: “This is a step change in carbon removal providing a real opportunity for organisations to reduce their carbon footprint. The Carbon Bank offers global reach as soil stock in all farming environments around the world could provide significant capacity to become a huge carbon sink.
“The Carbon Bank means farmers in the UK and beyond can provide a solution to one of the biggest climate change issues, highlighted at COP26 in Glasgow.
“Plus, if we do it right, food gets better. Water and flood management improves because the cover crops transform below ground soil structure, which in turn helps to reduce leaching and water run-off and because carbon is being sequestered back into the soil from the atmosphere, the planet starts to heal as well”.
“We can get everybody to contribute by eating smarter and actively choosing to buy food products sourced from land where this remedial process is being undertaken by farmers.”
First credits from Yorkshire
The first verified carbon credits have come from Tom Mellor’s farm High above Bridlington, in the North Yorkshire Wolds.
Tom says: “Farming is about achieving a balance, similar to the challenge the planet is facing, with regard to climate change. If we take out more than we put back in, future generations will pay the price”
Tom also commented “Knowing now that farming can be the solution, not the problem is encouraging us to rethink both our practices and mindset”
The Sustainable Futures Carbon Bank aims to bring 10,000 carbon credits to the voluntary market in the next 12 months from other farms involved in the scheme across the UK and EU.
