Heading to the 2026 Great Yorkshire Show? Don’t miss a series of daily talks in the Agri-Innovation Village, located alongside the Machinery Demo Ring near Sheep.
Hosted by the Society’s Farmer Scientist Network, the Agri-Innovation Village is sponsored by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority and Greene Tree Energy, and showcases the latest tech and research shaping the industry. Find out more here and read on below for the full timetable of talks.
All visitors are welcome to join the talks in the Agri-Innovation Village without prior registration, unless specifically stated.
A valid show day ticket or YAS Membership is required to access the Showground. Tickets for the Show, which takes place this year on Tuesday 14 – Friday 17 July are available to purchase in advance only, here.
Tuesday 14 July
10-11am
Rural Growth: How can devolution and innovation help feed the nation? Hosted by the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
11am-12noon
Nitrogen Use Efficiency. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Panelists:
- Dr Daniel Kindred, founder of the ARC (Agronomy Research Circle), a farmer-led network focused on understanding what works on-farm through explanations, evidence, experimentation and exchange.
- Clive Blacker, an agricultural consultant, farmer and founder of Agrivation Ltd, specialising in precision agriculture, soil assessment, nutrient management and practical on-farm innovation. Clive has a background in arable farming, agricultural technology and applied research.
- Kathryn Bartlett, a Senior Soil Scientist at Anglo American Crop Nutrients, where she leads technical workstreams focused on improving soil health, soil nutrient dynamics, and nutrient use efficiency in agricultural systems.
12noon-1pm
The Regeneration Exchange: Connecting science with practice in the field. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Panelists:
- Mark Taylor, a Senior Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) adviser for Yorkshire and the Humber. As part of the Defra family, CSF are seen as knowledge leaders on SFI and grant/support schemes, and help farmers implement their schemes to get the best outcomes for their farm and the environment.
- Holly Shearman, Head of Livestock & Farm of the Future Programmes at the Royal Agricultural Society of England and Innovation for Agriculture. Passionate about sustainable livestock, health & welfare and promoting British agriculture, Holly farms a small family livestock farm in SE England.
- Angus Gowthorpe farms 500 acres in the Vale of York on a variety of soil types, approximately 400 acres of combinable crops are grown, as well as 100 acres of permanent grassland and temporary herbal leys for his pedigree Saler suckler herd. Angus changed to regenerative agriculture in 2014 to concentrate on soil health.
- ADOPT Growth Hub & ADAS will also be represented on the panel.
1-2pm
Hybrid off grid power: developing energy systems for reliable low-carbon power. Hosted by TCP Group at the invitation of the Farmer Scientist Network.
- Presenter: Jim Irvine, the Operations and Development Director for TCP Group (Taylor Construction Plant Ltd). The company offers clean and sustainable energy solutions and have provided a hydrogen unit that is powering a significant area of the Agri-Innovation Village.
2.30-3.30pm
The Great Yorkshire Show Innovation Awards. Hosted by Dr Dave George, Chair of the Farmer Scientist Network.
4-6pm
Farmer Scientist Network Summer Social. Drinks kindly supplied by Harrogate Brewing Company. Register your free place here
- Keynote address delivered by Ben Leatham. Ben is the managing director of eatTelfit, an online artisan butchery based around a network of farmers and the family’s own farm, Telfit Farm in Swaledale. At Telfit they are working to convert the farm to a model regenerative farming project alongside the White Rose Forest to demonstrate the remarkable benefits regenerative farming can have for farmers, livestock and nature alike.
- Video address from George Freeman MP, Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Science & Technology in Agriculture.
Wednesday 15 July
Wednesday’s focus is on energy in collaboration with RASE (Farm of the Future Programme), Energy Oasis and HyKit.
9-11am
Whatever next? Agriculture in a time of Confusion. Hosted by CAAV (Central Association for Agricultural Valuers).
11am-12noon
On Farm Energy Opportunities. Hosted by RASE (Farm of the Future Programme). Panelists:
- Josh Robinson, Assistant Director at NFU Energy with over 12 years’ experience in the energy sector. Josh is involved with UK energy and water suppliers on procurement and market access, playing an active role in shaping future energy strategy.
- Lewis Kirkwood, Innovation Manager at Norther Gas Networks, responsible for a number of renewable gas innovation projects, including on rural renewables and will talk about a recent report focused on feedstock mobilisation for rural bioenergy.
- Mike Kaye, Founder and Director of Energy Oasis. With over 28 years in the renewable energy industry and energy reduction business, Mike is an expert at helping companies reduce their energy consumption, cut costs, and lower their carbon emissions. Mike has a particular interest in hydrogen storage technologies which he has been an advocate of for over 15 years.
- Simon Dobson, a Yorkshire farmer, who will comment on how his farming business is responding to energy challenges facing the nation’s farmers.
12noon-1pm
Northern Launch of the RASE Farm of the Future ‘Rethinking Farm Buildings’ Report. Hosted by RASE (Farm of the Future Programme). Panelists:
- Richard Gueterbock, the report co-editor will introduce the latest RASE report on farm building decarbonisation. Richard, an adviser on agri-food sustainability helped RASE set up the Farm of the Future initiative to drive on farm innovation.
- Nigel Penlington was a contributor to the report. An agricultural engineer and part-time farmer, Nigel has been a farm manager and led AHDB’s Environment and Buildings Team, running research projects dealing with technical and regulatory challenges and bringing new technology to the UK.
- Hugh Crabtree is also a contributor to the report. He is a co-founder of Farmex, the process control supplier for agriculture, inc. livestock ventilation controls. Leaders in remote data recovery, Farmex monitors over 500 production sites in the UK, USA, Germany and Australia.
1-2pm
Rural Energy: How can devolution power up our rural communities? Hosted by the York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority.
2-3pm
Farm Fuels: Future Options – realistic power choices for the next generation of farming. Hosted by RASE (Farm of the Future Programme). Panelists:
- Toby Whatley, Head of Machinery and Farm Technology at Agriconnect and Farmers Guardian. Toby is a respected journalist in the farm machinery sector and a commentator on the deployment of alternative powertrains and fuels on farms.
- Courtney Lucas, Business Development Manager at Bennamann, a subsidiary of New Holland, and providing an alternative farm fuel for the T7 Methane Power displayed on their stand. Bennemann’s system produces on farm Bio-CNG fuel.
- Dr John Vickers, Director of Engineering and the founding employee of HyKit, who are showcasing their mobile hydrogen refuelling system at the show. He led the development of fuel systems to support vehicle OEMs such as JCB and Toyota.
3-4pm
Precision Futures: The AgTech Pitch Hour – data driven ideas for transforming agriculture. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Panelists:
- Adrian Howe is European Business Development Manager at Analox. With a background in electrical engineering and technical sales for over 16 years. He has been involved in a huge variety of different projects from pub cellars to farms. As a father, I am very concerned with environmental issues and it is great to help the agriculture industry innovate to find ways to meet the challenges of Net Zero.
- Mike Kaye is Founder and Director of Energy Oasis. With over 28 years in the renewable energy industry and energy reduction business, Mike is an expert at helping companies reduce their energy consumption, cut costs, and lower their carbon emissions. Mike has a particular interest in hydrogen storage technologies which he has been an advocate of for over 15 years.
- Dr Will Veness is co-founder and CEO of CatchmentAI, the company behind Probcast, a weather intelligence platform helping farms make better operational decisions in increasingly volatile weather. Will has a background in climate change and extreme weather, with a PhD from Imperial College London focused on how we can use data better for decision making in contexts like UK farming and water management.
- Will Dunn is the Founder of Ag-Drive, working to eliminate the paperwork for agricultural contractors.
Thursday 16 July
10-11am
Big Ideas for Farm Businesses: a relaxed drop-in session to explore innovation, business growth and new connections. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Panelists:
- Mike Kaye is Founder and Director of Energy Oasis. With over 28 years in the renewable energy industry and energy reduction business, Mike is an expert at helping companies reduce their energy consumption, cut costs, and lower their carbon emissions. Mike has a particular interest in hydrogen storage technologies which he has been an advocate of for over 15 years.
- Nick White is an experienced Rural Business Consultant with YNYCA. He brings a practical understanding of agriculture, having grown up on and worked within a 320-acre mixed family farm in South Northumberland. This hands-on background underpins his expertise and informs his approach to rural business development. Nick studied at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, before going on to complete an MBA at Durham University.
- Christopher Lunardi is the Ecosystem Manager for York at Barclays Eagle Labs working in partnership with the University of York, where he connects founders, scale-ups, SMEs, investors, and corporate partners to help drive innovation and economic growth across Yorkshire. In his role, Christopher leads engagement alongside strategic partners and delivers programmes and events that support ambitious businesses at every stage of their growth journey.
11am-12noon
Precision Futures: The AgTech Pitch Hour – data driven ideas for transforming agriculture. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Panelists:
- Sam Hoste is the founder of Agrillo, an agri-tech startup transforming how agronomists, farmers manage Plant Protection Products (PPP) on-farm. Sam has held senior roles in global animal breeding companies, co-led national initiatives to improve regional animal health in the UK, and served as Chief Operating Officer of CIEL, the UK’s livestock agri-tech centre.
- Dr Daniel Kindred is founder of the ARC (Agronomy Research Circle), a farmer-led network focused on understanding what works on-farm through explanations, evidence, experimentation and exchange.
12-1pm
Hybrid off grid power: developing energy systems for reliable low-carbon power. Hosted by TCP Group at the invitation of the Farmer Scientist Network.
- Presenter: Simon Meades is the Business Development Manager for TCP Group (Taylor Construction Plant Ltd). The company offer clean and sustainable energy solutions and have provided a hydrogen unit that is powering a significant area of the Agri-Innovation Village.
1-2pm
The Connected Farm: Using Artificial Intelligence and automation safely to work smarter. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Panelists:
- Sam Hoste is the founder of Agrillo, an agri-tech startup transforming how agronomists, farmers manage Plant Protection Products (PPP) on-farm. Sam has held senior roles in global animal breeding companies, co-led national initiatives to improve regional animal health in the UK, and served as Chief Operating Officer of CIEL, the UK’s livestock agri-tech centre.
- Richard Lanning is the founder of Enterprise CUBE CIC. His flagship project, StriveLive is a virtual start-up incubator that been run 14 times in North Yorkshire, supporting dozens of rural businesses and several farms to diversify into new areas. Working with so many micro-enterprise he’s passionate about finding low-cost, easy to implement efficiency wins in the AI and automation space, and is currently delivering a series of automation workshops for YNYCA to help local businesses.
- Jack Barber is a freelance web designer, developer, and digital marketing specialist based in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Between 2021 and 2024 he served as Director of Technology at Nature’s Laboratory. Now running Hello Technology, Jack partners with clients across design, development, marketing, and IT support — combining hands-on technical skill with a no-nonsense, customer-first approach.
3-5pm
Women In Farming Summer Social, Beyond Yorkshire: An International Perspective (Agri-Innovation Village).
Join the Women In Farming Network for an inspiring fireside chat highlighting the global journeys of UK women in agriculture. Although rooted in the landscapes of Yorkshire and beyond, each of our speakers brings a unique international connection as we celebrate the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
The conversation will be accompanied by strawberries and cream and a glass of fizz. Registration required, please follow this link and for full details of the line-up, take a look here.
Friday 17 July
10-11am
Big Ideas for Farm Businesses: a relaxed drop-in session to explore innovation, business growth and new connections. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Panelists:
- Mike Kaye is Founder and Director of Energy Oasis. With over 28 years in the renewable energy industry and energy reduction business, Mike is an expert at helping companies reduce their energy consumption, cut costs, and lower their carbon emissions. Mike has a particular interest in hydrogen storage technologies which he has been an advocate of for over 15 years.
- Christopher Lunardi is the Ecosystem Manager for York at Barclays Eagle Labs working in partnership with the University of York, where he connects founders, scale-ups, SMEs, investors, and corporate partners to help drive innovation and economic growth across Yorkshire. In his role, Christopher leads engagement alongside strategic partners and delivers programmes and events that support ambitious businesses at every stage of their growth journey.
- Harriet Stainton is Growth Hub Delivery Manager at York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority, where she leads the strategic development and delivery of business support services that drive innovation, enterprise and economic growth across the region. Throughout a career in multiple industries, she has supported hundreds of businesses with digital transformation, marketing strategy, business diversification and innovation, whilst building strong partnerships across the private and public sectors.
11am-12noon
Precision Futures: The AgTech Pitch Hour – data driven ideas for transforming agriculture. Hosted by the Farmer Scientist Network. Speaker:
- Tomos Richardson, Market Solutions Manager, Farm Management Systems, Delaval. Specialising in farm management solutions, digital transformation, and precision dairy technologies across the UK and Ireland, Tomos’s role is to support dairy farmers leverage data-driven technologies to improve animal health, productivity, sustainability, and farm profitability.
