About Future Farming - exploring engineering in agriculture
Future Farming highlights engineering advancements that enhance sustainability, efficiency, and animal welfare in agriculture and aquaculture by ‘making the invisible visible’ to farmers and food producers. The centrepiece of the project was a newly designed interactive activity. Participants engaged with mood recognition technology used by livestock farmers to detect early signs of illness, explored monitoring tools on a life-sized model of a Scottish dairy cow, and assessed the sweetness of blueberries using non-invasive instruments from the fruit harvesting and packing industry. These activities highlighted the diverse ways engineers solve complex challenges in food production.
The activity was co-created with leading engineers including Dr. Cynthia Naydani (University of Edinburgh), Dave Scott (Intelligent Growth Systems), Dr. Kenneth Loades (James Hutton Institute and SEFARI Gateway), Chris Jones (Norfab Equipment Ltd.), Dr. Susannah Bolton (SRUC), and Ross Robertson (farming technology specialist). Their expertise ensured the content was engaging, accurate, and inspiring.
The activity was delivered by engineers at Careers Hive (28 October – 2 November 2024), a weeklong STEM careers event for students aged 10–14. Over five days, 2,061 pupils and their teachers from 38 schools participated, including 709 students from high-SIMD areas, ensuring broad access to under-served communities. The event also expanded its audience to include P7 students for the first time, with attendees traveling from 15 local authority areas. To eliminate cost barriers, travel bursaries were provided to 18 schools. Future Farming activity was also accessible to the general public throughout the week, including a dedicated public day on the Saturday, with an estimated 2,340 visitors that day alone.
Key outcomes
• Increased awareness among young people of engineering careers in agriculture.
• A collaborative activity co-developed and delivered with engineering experts.
• Developed communication and engagement skills for engineers volunteering at Careers Hive.
Working alongside engineers proved invaluable, offering fresh perspectives and practical insights that shaped the Future Farming activity. This collaborative approach underscores the importance of partnerships in creating impactful STEM engagement experiences for diverse audiences
