Back in the 1940s, Kiwi legend Bill Gallagher knew how to get farmers on board with his electric fence invention—he gave them a free trial. After seeing how much easier it made moving livestock, most farmers signed up after free the trial and never looked back.
Today, with new generations of innovators tackling on-farm challenges, offering trials and connecting directly with farmers might just be the golden ticket to success.
“Our goal at Agnition Ventures is to build and invest in opportunities that solve real-world problems for farmers and growers,” says AgTech Growth Specialist Christy Chapman.
“The Pilot Farm Network was created to get helpful innovations into farmers’ hands quicker, and so far, the feedback has been positive from all sides.”
Real world feedback from the farm gate
Since the launch, Christy has since spoken to dozens of farmers about their trials.
“At the last webinar, around 50% of attendees signed up to trial new tech, with the farmers reporting real, measurable outcomes, which is amazing.”
In short, the programme brings together top AgTech innovators and curious Kiwi farmers through a simple webinar format.
“It’s like speed dating for business!” Christy jokes. “We’re helping farmers try out new tech with no pressure, and at the same time, giving innovators support as they move from pre-commercial to market-ready. Farmers get to decide if they want to sign up for a trial—no strings attached.”
And the benefits for tech innovators are huge.
“They get the chance to test, tweak, and scale up faster,” Christy says. “The feedback shows its helping innovators to refine their tools for real-world problems. It’s a win-win for the whole industry.”
The team have featured eight innovations in 12 months.
Christy, your webinar host and AgTech specialist
You might have met her at the farm gate, and now, Christy Chapman brings her wealth of industry knowledge and true passion for farming to the Pilot Farm Network (PFN) programme.
As the host of your PFN webinars, Christy and a tight-knit team of experts work hard behind the scenes to make it all happen.
“I love being part of it and seeing the real impact on the ground. It’s incredible to witness how it’s benefiting the wider industry too,” she says.
Christy came on board with Ravensdown in 2017 through the one-year graduate programme after earning her Bachelor of Agriculture, and she hasn’t looked back.
“From day one, it’s been an awesome journey,” she says.
After nearly seven years as Agri Manager for Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, she stepped into her current role as AgTech Growth Specialist at Agnition.
In this role, Christy continues to build strong relationships with farmers, connecting them with Ag-Tech innovators through Agnition Ventures. The Pilot Farm Network is just one of the many initiatives she’s involved with.
Based in Waipukurau, Christy also lends a hand on the sheep and beef farm run by her husband, Hamish.