New innovations designed to help farmers maximise returns on every hectare will soon be commonplace on Welsh farms, so introducing the next generation to these technologies is important for the future of food production.
A new role has therefore been created at this year’s Royal Welsh Show to promote these technologies to future farmers.
Marie Powell, who is 19 and was brought up on an upland beef and sheep farm near Crickhowell, has been appointed Innovation Steward at the Farming Connect and Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Agri Lab exhibition.
The Agri Lab exhibition will showcase a host of innovative technologies set to change the face of farming in the next 5-10 years.
Marie’s role will focus on promoting innovation and techniques that will shape farming going forward.
She will shadow the judges who will select the award winners for the best innovations and will also promote the most innovative products at the Show via the Farming Connect social media platform.
Marie’s appointment comes after an open call to the Royal Welsh Show Young Members Forum.
“I am very interested in the latest advances in agriculture and was keen to get involved,’’ she said.
Marie studied agriculture at Gelli Aur College, Carmarthenshire, and is now studying Agriculture with Farm Business Management at Harper Adams University. Currently in her third year, she is out in industry and has secured a placement with Advanced Ruminant Nutrition based in Lancashire.
She is no stranger to the Royal Welsh Show having being presented with the Gwili Jones travel scholarship at the showground. The award took her to Ireland where she spent eight weeks working in various farming systems; she gained her most significant experience while shadowing at several Teagasc research institutes.
That placement introduced her to new advances and techniques in agriculture and she is looking forward to building on that knowledge at the Royal Welsh Show.
“It is really exciting that there are so many possibilities for the farming industry in Wales to progress and many of these ideas will be featured at the Agri Lab exhibition,’’ says Marie.
“I am looking forward to assisting in the stewarding of this exhibition and helping farmers to develop their knowledge of innovation in the industry.’’