Please note: This event is now fully booked and registration has closed
Future Farmers of Yorkshire X Farmer Scientist Network
Autumn Debate 2025
Tradition and Technology: The Future of Farming in Yorkshire
Registration is now open for free places at the Future Farmers of Yorkshire’s Autumn Debate, which is being held this year in collaboration with the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Farmer Scientist Network.
Taking place on Wednesday 29 October 2025 from 6.30pm in The Pavilions at the Great Yorkshire Events Centre, at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate, we’ll be debating the road ahead for farming as the industry looks to strike a fine balance between traditional farming practices and new technology.
Offering insights from an industry panel, we will set out to explore ‘Tradition and Technology: The Future of Farming in Yorkshire’.
Our event is kindly sponsored by McClarrons insurance brokers and supported by Barclays.
What to expect
Hosted by Future Farmers of Yorkshire Chair, Joe Seels, this event brings together forward-thinking farmers, agricultural scientists, and industry experts to debate one of the most pressing issues in modern agriculture: should the future of farming lean into technological innovation, or return to more traditional, regenerative approaches?
This upcoming debate is a collaboration between the Future Farmers of Yorkshire and the Farmer Scientist Network – two of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s leading networks.
Together, these farming networks work to ensure that the agricultural community is stronger, more resilient, and better equipped for the future.
The debate will explore the benefits, limitations, and long-term impacts of both, high-cost and low-cost technologies, and traditional methods, asking: what will produce the most resilient, sustainable, and profitable farming in Yorkshire over the next 20 years?
Autumn Debate speakers:
Stuart Mitchell
Stuart Mitchell and his family run Whitriggs Farm, a 442ha mixed organic farm near Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Stuart took over the running of the farm in 2018.
Previously run as a conventional mixed cattle, sheep and arable farm, there has been big changes in the last seven years with the move from sheep to red deer and conversion of the whole farm to organic status.
Stuart advocates a back to basics approach to farming. The low input system applied on the farm allows for a good output, healthy profit and better work life balance without fighting against nature.
Whitriggs was Scotland’s Sustainable Farm of the Year in 2023 and won a Silver Technical Innovation Award at the Royal Highland Show for the Whitriggs Bale Unroller.
Andrew Manfield
Yorkshire arable farmer Andrew Manfield, based on the edge of the Wolds, founded his company Manterra Limited in 2011.
Since then, Manterra has become well established in the North of England as specialists in PTx Trimble precision guidance and XAG agricultural drones as well as the supply of cultivators, seeders and spreaders.
Dr Louise Manning
Dr Louise Manning (PhD in Global Food Production) has worked for more than 40 years undertaking consultancy work and research to inform strategy, policy, business productivity and personal development in the agri-food sector.
A former Professor of Sustainable Agri-food Systems at the Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology, Louise is now MD of a strategic consultancy business, LJM Associates Ltd, a director of her family farming business and also provides ongoing strategic support to businesses and governments.
She has a strong background in applied research and promoting innovation in food safety and quality, food-related crime, food governance, business ethics, supply chain digitalisation, social and corporate responsibility, has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and written and edited multiple books and book chapters.
Andrew Ward MBE
A well-known farmer within the industry, Andrew Ward launched Forage Aid in 2013 to help livestock farmers who lost thousands of animals due to heavy snow in March that year, and he was subsequently awarded an MBE for services to farming in England and Wales.
Andrew is a former Farmers Weekly Arable Farmer of the Year, host of the Cereals Event in 2004, 2008 and 2025, and posts twice-weekly YouTube videos promoting UK farming and food production.
Chair – Dr Dave George
Farmer Scientist Network Chair, Dr Dave George of Newcastle University’s School of Natural and Environmental Sciences has specialist knowledge in the use of biopesticides and precision agriculture technology and is passionate about driving forward future farming systems to benefit food production.
Running order
6.30pm – Registration desk open and networking
7pm – Hot buffet supper
7.30pm – Openings and Welcomes by Future Farmers Chair, Joe Seels and Debate Chair, Dr Dave George
7.40pm – Panel debate
8.30pm – Q&A with panellists, your chance to ask questions
9.20pm – Chair’s closing remarks
