Prince Charles has praised research group Innovative Farmers as 'remarkable' as the network celebrates 10 years since it formed.
Hosted by Trefranck Farm in Cornwall, the Prince met farmers and industry organisations to hear how farmer-led research bolsters innovation.
Innovative Farmers, formed 10 years ago, has undertaken 120 field labs that have placed farmers in the driving seat of agricultural research.
Addressing the event, Prince Charles said he was “very proud” to have been able to support it, and that the event was a “wonderful opportunity” to see farmers doing “remarkable things all over the country”.
“It’s been fascinating to see the results of these field labs and I’ve learned quite a lot," Prince Charles told attendees at Trefranck Farm.
"I’m particularly interested, I must say, in living mulches, which is the next interesting and very critical area I think which I shall be particularly fascinated to see, and in agroforestry and silvopastoral possibilities.”
He added: “I’ve always felt that nature herself has so many of the answers and that if we read the book of nature carefully enough, we discover that she’s created this astonishing, miraculous really, waste free circularity.
"And that’s what I hope we can all build on, because technology can’t provide all the answers, the combination of the two, the precision technology and so on, and these extraordinary lessons we’ve learnt from nature can be hugely beneficial.”
During the event, Prince Charles spoke to farmer triallists from several field labs, including one that is investigating “living mulch”.
This is a practice of growing a permanent understory of clover that crops can be sown straight into, reducing the need for ploughing, weedkillers, and artificial fertilisers.
The event showcased results from the last decade that have shown that farmer-led research could improve the health of livestock, eliminate tonnes of chemicals, and save the industry millions of pounds.
Triallists and co-ordinators shared insights on nature-based farming solutions – such as using woodchip to tackle weeds, predatory insects to fight pests, and using on-farm lab kits to cut antibiotic use in dairy cows.
Addressing Prince Charles and attendees, Soil Association CEO Helen Browning described 10 years of Innovative Farmers as a “extraordinary achievement”.
She said: “More than anything else, the thing that I celebrate about Innovative Farmers is that it has got farmer-led research on the map.
"The success that you see when farmers come together to solve their challenges – together with a little bit of support and some rigour from the researchers – and you get rapid results that are taken up really fast."
