Smart Small Farms
Distribute the opportunities of the digital economy through the development of Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs)
Partners
Project Lead
Leanne Townsend, James Hutton Institue (PI)Project Type
Funded ProjectSmall farms are less likely to enjoy the benefits of the digital economy so this project aimed to empower and more fairly distribute the opportunities of the digital economy through the development of Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs). The project planned to work with small farms to design prototype technologies.
The research team worked with one crofter and community representative allowing for the collection of rich and detailed data. They investigated four potential areas for innovation and developed two prototypes based on the information provided by the participant – a low-cost animal tag scanner and a simple polytunnel temperature monitor.
Prototypes were demonstrated, trialed on the croft and feedback was directly provided. The project demonstrated that crofters and small-scale farmers can benefit from digital technologies if these are developed through a co-design process with the needs of the farmers at the forefront.
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