2021 Shows - It's great to be back!

Over the past couple of weeks, we at Soil Scout have been dashing around the UK attending the country’s best trade shows focused on turf and agriculture. It’s great to see people once again visiting these shows and seeing the best of what the industry has to offer. Even though the attendance at these shows isn’t back to normal, I can say the feel-good factor is coming back in a massive way, and I look forward to seeing more and more people return as the summer continues.

The future of data is now. It seems that most stands and companies are now featuring some form of technology. Whether it’s turf or agriculture, the industry has realised that we need to be more efficient. With commodity prices staying pretty frozen, the emphasis is on efficiency, yields, and sustainability.

It’s been a difficult few years for crops, with significant pressures from weather extremes, pest and disease challenge, and changes in policy. I spoke with a few people about how new legislation, incentives, tech, skills, and partnerships will affect the supply of high-quality commodities as well as how we can best support the environmental needs of the country. Each time the conversation came back to tech – even if it’s just implementing one new piece of tech a year, you begin to understand how your lands work and can better adjust your resources and practices to weather unpredictable storms.

We’re definitely seeing a lot more representatives from environmental agencies at these in-person events, which is absolutely fantastic. The more transparent and human they appear to the industry, the better.

Thank you to everyone who called by to say hello to the Soil Scout team.