A meeting hosted by the Innovative Farmers network, part of the Duchy Future Farming Programme, has been set up to explore the benefits and opportunities from improved pasture management to help inform the development of a new digital tool to support farmers as part of the exciting new PASTORAL project. It will take place on Monday 13th December from 12.30 to 2pm on Microsoft Teams. You can book here.
cows in pasture
Quality, productive pasture is essential for efficient livestock production. Current methods do not accurately reflect field quality, nor likely future growth under climate change, limiting accuracy of pasture management decisions. Livestock farmers are invited to join the PASTORAL team for a 90-minute session to share their current pasture management practices and explore the range of data and metrics that could be useful to their farm business. During the workshop participants will:

  • Discuss current pasture monitoring methods
  • Explore priorities for farm businesses for data and metrics to support on-farm decision making for pasture management and any current gaps
  • Identify ideas for measuring environmental performance alongside biomass
  • Share an overview of the PASTORAL project and how to get involved

PASTORAL is a partnership project funded by Innovate UK to develop a digital tool to support farmers to increase farm productivity and carbon efficiency through improved pasture performance and management. It aims to develop a digital solution that can deliver weekly data and insights on current and projected grass biomass and to quantify carbon budgets. The tool will use satellite data to map and forecast at field scale in order to support on-farm decision making on stocking rates, forage budgeting, cutting dates and future planning. PASTORAL will provide weekly information through a co-designed platform to increase farm productivity and carbon efficiency. It is led by Environment Systems Ltd in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh and the Soil Association.