June was a busy month in the CDT student’s calendar. After visiting the Dyson Farming Estate (see article above for more information) at the beginning of June, students then went on to visit the G’s Fresh farming facilities. G’s Fresh has been collaborating with the AgriFoRwArdS CDT from the beginning and works closely with Cohort 2 student Will Rohde as a key member of his supervisory team.

46 students and staff members visited the G’s estate on Thursday, 20 June. This visit was a part of a larger CDT event, the talks given by the G’s staff finalised the 2024 AgriFoRwArdS Seminars series and then the next day the student’s updated on their research at the Quarterly Research Progress Meeting at the University of Cambridge’s Engineering Department.

Student’s fed back that they were very encouraged by the knowledge and passion that G’s staff show for their work, and thanked the G’s staff for their positive responses to students’ questions.

Some said that “… it was eye opening how efficient and dedicated this company is to ensuring success. The big take-way was how G’s are pushing regenerative farming and take care of soil health that in long term ensures the success of G’s Fresh business model.”

Student’s were also impressed with how thoughtfully modern practices are integrated with traditional agriculture. It was great to see how methods that for many hundreds of years have brought fruitful results, are improved by the introduction of 21st century innovative technological approaches.

We asked Vijja Wichitwechkarn to summarise the student’s experience of the event, here is what he had to say:

On June 20th, 2024, the Agriforwards CDT organized a trip to G’s Growers, and it was fantastic. We heard all about regenerative agriculture and the cool digital technologies they’re using. Touring their facilities, we got to see amazing automation and robotics in action. Being on the farm made it clear just how challenging it is for robots to work in such a complex environment. Seeing it all up close gave me a new appreciation for agricultural tech. Plus, the weather was great, which made the visit even more enjoyable.