The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is seeking seven beef and seven dairy farmers to take part in a network of ‘innovation farms’ across Northern Ireland.
The role of these farms is to host visits and showcase the use of innovative sustainable practices aligned with the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA’s) Sustainable Agriculture Programme.
The aim of the project is to encourage a greater rate of implementation of innovations.
According to CAFRE, the intention is “to appoint seven beef (including suckler and beef finishing) and seven dairy farms initially”.
“Farms from other sectors will be appointed later this year.
“Farmers selected will be people who enjoy welcoming other farmers onto their farm and can tell their story of how they have introduced innovative sustainable practices into their businesses.”
Selection
To be eligible for selection, CAFRE is looking for farms “which are aligned with delivering an agriculture sector with improved environmental sustainability”.
They must also have “a focus on One Health”, Northern Ireland’s five-year action plan to fight antimicrobial resistance.
Other factors for eligibility include: enhanced productivity; resilience; and an effective and functioning supply chain.
According to CAFRE: “If a herd does not have ‘OTF’ (Officially Tuberculosis Free) status, the farm can still apply to be an Innovation Farm.
“If successful, the farm will be held on a reserve list until OTF status is regained.”
Those farmers who meet the eligibility criteria, and are shortlisted, will be assessed by a panel during a visit to their farm.
Hosting
Selected farms will be expected to host between eight and 12 visits for groups of between five and 25 farmers.
CAFRE technologists/advisers and scheme support staff will help the farmer prepare to host visits. A support staff member will also be available to help with arrangements at each visit.
Innovation Farms will receive a hosting payment of £786 (about €902) for each visit.
In addition, CAFRE will support these farms by analysing the performance of their innovation, providing appropriate diagnostic testing, and arranging where appropriate, for specialists to visit and speak on their farm.
Farmers who are interested in becoming an Innovation Farm can find more details on the CAFRE website.
Applications will open on January 26, 2026 and close at 4:00p.m on March 6, 2026.
