Brash Ag

How good does farm tech need to be before you get it muddy? And can you convince your bank manager to pay for it?

This week, Ray heads to Agri-TechE’s REAP conference, then joins Kit to chew over the robots, the money and when “good enough” is good enough.

We meet Dynium and BOB — “Berries on Board” — to talk autonomous fruit logistics, subscriptions and making robots earn their keep. Lombard and NatWest explain what it takes to finance new technology when there’s no handy second-hand price guide. And Iconal Technology shows how sensing technology from the security sector could help Allpress Farms keep tabs on its leeks.

Plus, Belinda wraps up the big ideas from REAP, Ray gets distracted by shiny prototypes, and Kit has a few thoughts on Tesco and where the money should go…

Robots, leeks and bank managers. All in a day’s work.

🎧 Listen to Brash Ag wherever you get your podcasts.

Brought to you by Control Technologies UK — We speak the language of machines.

#BrashAg #AgriTech #AgriculturalEngineering #REAP

Intro Audio License Code: QSER3CYHEHIMVRDC

AI is going to change the future for farmers and engineers, but perhaps not in the way you might think…

This week, Kit and Ray gather around the crystal ball with Mark Wood from Control Technologies UK to explore the future of farming and off-highway machinery—and ask where the real payback lies.

From AI-generated code to machines that make their own decisions, the trio explore what’s coming for developers, engineers and operators. Mark explains how CAN communication is evolving, why Ethernet could transform what machines are capable of, and why the data we already collect could be worth far more than we realise.

But could the biggest financial gains come from predicting breakdowns rather than taking the driver out of the cab? What if your machine could spot trouble developing and act before it brings the job to a halt?

Smarter machines, fewer breakdowns and more money in your pocket—but who’s accountable when AI gets it wrong?

Intro Audio License Code: QSER3CYHEHIMVRDC

How do you go from an unsuccessful job application to owning the company? And what does a brush with bankruptcy teach you about keeping a machinery business alive?

Check out the Bonus Factory Tour Video on the Brash Ag Youtube Channel!

This week, Ray and Kit head to Kidd Farm Machinery to sit down with John Harvey and Chris Gordon for a frank look at the business of building farm machinery.

John shares his journey from starting out in agricultural engineering and nearing bankruptcy in his first year, to building a renowned pig machinery brand, John Harvey Ltd and acquiring Kidd Farm Machinery— the very company he once approached for a job. With Wrag and Bush Pig subsequently joining the line-up, he explains what makes a business worth buying and how small savings can make a big difference to the bottom line.

Operations manager Chris reveals how his job interview turned into an Innovate UK project meeting before he’d even been offered the role. He also shares the challenges of bringing acquired machinery ranges into production, from reverse engineering parts to keeping the factory flowing.

Along the way, there’s autonomous fencing, the search for the next generation of engineers, and why John still reaches for his Meccano when a new idea strikes.

Intro Audio License Code: QSER3CYHEHIMVRDC

Landwards 2026 Roundup – The robots are ready; are you?

This week, Kit and Ray round up the conversations from the Institution of Agricultural Engineers’ Landwards 2026 Conference at Harper Adams University, exploring how robotics and automation are changing agriculture and the way farmers work.

Hear from James Miller of Earth Rover, Rhian Griffith of Flynt Technology, Nestor Nahuel Deniz of Harper Adams University, Dan Whitear of the University of Warwick, Dermot Tobin of PDM Produce and William Mumford of AS Communications.

From engineering innovation to practical adoption on farm, join us to explore what it takes to turn the promise of agricultural robotics into real impact.

What does it take to build an investment fund from scratch? Can a fund focused on hardware hold its own against rivals investing in software and AI? And why are agritech firms so attractive to the British Design Fund?

This week, Kit and Ray sit down with Damon Bonser, CEO of the British Design Fund. Damon shares how a career building hardware businesses led him to develop the investment thesis and assemble the team behind the fund.

The world of venture capital and start-up investing can often seem mysterious. In this interview, Damon lifts the veil on the sector, explaining in clear terms how the fund works and how companies progress from initial enquiry to investment and beyond.

Damon also explains how BDF selects the businesses it backs, looking for what he calls “painkiller businesses” that solve clear problems for their customers. He shares how that approach has led to investments in UK agritech firms, including EcoNomad and Cordon Technologies.

If you’re an engineer with a prototype or a founder wondering how to fund your next step, this episode puts you on the other side of the pitch — to hear what a hardware investor is really looking for.

British Design Fund - https://www.britishdesignfund.co.uk/

Economad - https://economad.co.uk/

Cordon technologies - https://www.cordon.ai/

Can Oxbury take their pioneering farm finance global? Who saved Robotti and can they build a home for the hardware in the UK? How is Harper Adams celebrating 125 years of educating the farmers of the future?

This week Ray and Kit open the news bag and rifle around for some quick fire news nuggets including:

Harper Adams turns 125 — celebrating the University and 125 years of educating the future of farming and agricultural engineering

IAgrE conference preview — agricultural automation, safety and what’s actually working on farms including speakers from Flynt Technology, PDM, Harper Adams, AS Communications, Earth Rover and Warwick Agritech.

UK agri-tech connections — Harper’s links with Dyson Farming and Simon Pearson of Lincoln University set up partnerships in the US with University of Florida and Texas A&M University .

Business moves — new ownership (Ed Holmes) at J & A Growers and Oxbury’s expansion into New Zealand under the guidance of Matt Ryan.

Robot rescue and farmer confidence — a new chapter for ROBOTTI with new owners Autonomous Agri Solutions.

IAgrE Conference link: https://iagre.org/landwards-conference-2026

Can managing livestock really be as easy as a few taps on a smart phone? How can a tech career go from Silicon Valley to a Nordic fjord? Can a virtual fence be safer than a real one?

This week Ray and Kit get the chance to talk to Fabien Lepoutre, VP of Engineering at No Fence. Fabien shares his personal story, from starting out in embedded electronics to following a career in Silicon Valley, including supporting product prototyping for Google X.

He also explains his desire, as an engineer, to make a difference to people's lives, which led to working in Norway for the livestock hardware manufacturer No Fence.

As VP of engineering at No Fence, Fabien is well placed to help explain how No Fence started, how the tech works and the business case that No Fence has been built around. Fabien also lifts the lid on what is next for No Fence, including their latest product the N3 collar that is more robust than their old collar and adds features to the core virtual fencing offering such as reproductive management through heat cycle scores and calving alerts. All part of their aim to deliver precision livestock technology to farmers all over the world.

Special thanks to Tina Tharadsen and Finlay Russel for helping to set up this interview.

How do you grow a brand new farming app from zero to over 200 farms in 3 months?! Could anyone vibe code an app for farmers? How do you scale and sell a business before your 16th Birthday?

This week Kit and Ray sit down to chat with Ben O’Connor, a farmer, innovator and serial entrepreneur. Ben gives a fascinating insight into FarmFlow, the farm management tool he is building along with his software developer cousin. With a focus on solving real world problems with labour management on his family farm Ben has launched his app into over 200 farms, and more than 1000 users in the space of a few months.

As a GCSE student and a commended finalist of the ABP Angus Youth Challenge , Ben has already started, grown and sold a B2C gift box business shifting over 200,000 boxes in three years and employing 13 people in the process. Ben is a great example of how AI tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropics Claude can unlock new ideas and allow non-technical people to explore new business opportunities.

In building FarmFlow Ben has been working on his plans to monetise the app, could farm data be the key to delivering free tools for farmers? Can big producers foot the bill while accessing some valuable insights that farm data can provide?

Ben is a great example of a can-do attitude, harnessing potential weaknesses as strengths and a tolerance for rejection that gets him in front of the right people at the right time.

With the help of none other than Rory Sutherland to steer his marketing and business building efforts, what is next for Ben and FarmFlow?

https://myfarmflow.co.uk/

#BrashAg #FarmFlow #AgriTech #FarmTech #FarmManagement #AgriculturalInnovation #VibeCoding #ArtificialIntelligence #StartupGrowth #Entrepreneurship #YoungEntrepreneur #Farming #UKFarming #RuralInnovation #FutureOfFarming

The podcast has hit 100 episodes, to celebrate this milestone, Kit and Ray sat down with a formidable Brainstrust panel, with a collective 100 YEARS of experience. Each panel member has been a part of the Brash Ag journey to 100 episodes, some as guests, some as instigators and even an apprentice host. The Brainstrust work together to answer the questions; What has changed in agtech in the two years since the podcast started? And what will the future be in two years' time when the podcast reaches it 200th episode. The pair are joined by:

Belinda Clarke OBE: Director of Agri-TechE and guest on Episode 33 of the Brash Ag podcast.

Clive Blacker: Precision Farming innovator, Director of Agrivation Ltd, Key part of the AgAnalyst team, Nuffield Scholar and guest on Episode 52 of the Brash Ag podcast.

Andy Newbold: Secretary General of the European Society of Agricultural Engineers, Past President of Institution of Agricultural Engineers, Managing Director of FarmSmart and Newmac and guest on Episode 60 of the Brash Ag podcast.

Kieran Walsh: Director and co-founder of Grounded Agvice and apprentice host on Episode 97 of the Brash Ag Podcast.

Along with industry insights, advice and information that can’t be found anywhere else, the panel also bring a healthy dose of humor and banter to keep Ray and Kit grounded as they continue their journey with the podcast.

Message from Ray and Kit: “ We would like to thank our loyal audience for continuing to support the podcast by tuning in each week, providing guest suggestions and giving us feedback to help us improve. We would also like to thank the Douglas Bomford Trust for getting us started and our current Series sponsor Control Technologies UK for helping us to grow the podcast and improve the content….here’s to many more episodes to come”

This week, Kit and Ray speak to Mark Wood, CEO of Control Technologies UK. Mark shares his unconventional journey from rowing coach to controls engineer and the proactive, feet-first approach that helped him build a multimillion-pound engineering business.

Drawing on his knowledge of embedded software, CAN bus and ISOBUS, Mark explains how his 14-strong team combines specialist hardware with engineering expertise to solve control and automation challenges across agriculture, construction, defence, marine, rail and motorsport.

Mark discusses his long relationship with Standen Engineering, from helping develop the second-generation control system for its potato harvester while at STW to Control Technologies UK recently delivering the third generation. Kit and Mark also step back in time to discuss a time when they worked together on design and engineering of the big bale transtacker. Mark also explains how the business has expanded from engineering consultancy into hardware distribution and a successful online shop.

The conversation covers the importance of defining project scope and introducing dedicated project management as the company has grown. Looking ahead, Mark shares his ambition to develop Control Technologies UK’s own products and intellectual property, including configurable software tools, machine connectivity and intelligent edge devices. Mark also introduces the latest initiative from Control Technologies UK called meet an engineer, allowing prospective clients to get in contact to discuss their challenges and find out how CT UK can help.

Huge thanks to Controls Technologies UK for being the first series sponsor for the Brash Ag podcast!

Meet an engineer: https://controltechuk.com/contact-us/

Webshop: www.controltech.uk.com