A farming partnership brought together industry, education and the farming community for a conference at Stanaway Farm, Otley.

The all-day event, organised by the Centre for Contemporary Agriculture (CCA), Framlingham Farmers and Easton and Otley College, looked at issues surrounding soil, water and precision management.

Around 80 delegates were given demonstrations using the latest technological equipment and discussed the latest industry trends.

Presenters included Ron Stobart of NIAB TAG, Keith Wellings of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), Professor Kevin Hiscock of the University of East Anglia and Wensum Demonstration Test Catchment Project, precision farming expert Ian Beecher-Jones, Nuffield scholar Tom Bradshaw and representatives from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Natural England.

Attendee and speaker John Taylor, said: “It was a very good event that provoked a lot of interest in precision farming. It was attended by people who wanted to learn. They were very interested and that was key - they really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it.”

Richard Rampton, from the CCA, said they had set up the event for a number of reasons. “Firstly, it was to create an awareness that farmers need continuous education,” he said.

“Then it was about discussing some of the topics including soil and water have gone out of fashion - yet this is what sustains all of us and people need to manage it better. It’s awareness of this and many other key issues affecting us.

Dr Tony Wilson CCA co-ordinator and farming lecturer, said: “We will build this event in Suffolk and in Norfolk. It put down a real marker that we are here to engage with the farming community and we are keen to work with them.

“Ultimately, you can’t interact with a Youtube video - you can however interact with a live demonstration.”