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The digital farm
Published on 05 March 2020
France
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
The Regional Council supports the Digital Farm since it is a method that permits to test before farmers invest, by proving the efficiency of new technologies. Therefore, it indirectly but eventually contributes to the competitiveness and performance of the Regional farms.
The Regional Council of Pays de la Loire supported the last wave of investment of the Experimental farm of Derval that led to the creation of the pedagogical farm of the site. The Regional Council also contributes to the research projects of the farm as it publishes open calls the Digital farm responds to.
If the results show that investing in the digitalization facilitates the work of the farmers, public policy can adapt their regional open calls.
The results are disseminated in other farms through communication of the Chamber of Agriculture (tied with the Experimental Farm of Derval) + farmers visits . In addition, the Digital Farm of Derval welcomes student, so there is a long-term approach of the digitalization process, through education.
Once the digital farm proved a technology is efficient it shares the result to farmers who can eventually adopt it. Thanks to this experience sharing and adoption, farmers can then themselves promote the technologies and contribute to the digitalization of the whole ecosystem of end-users.
Technologies used in the Digital farm are chosen to fit the farmer’s need.
The Regional Council of Pays de la Loire supported the last wave of investment of the Experimental farm of Derval that led to the creation of the pedagogical farm of the site. The Regional Council also contributes to the research projects of the farm as it publishes open calls the Digital farm responds to.
If the results show that investing in the digitalization facilitates the work of the farmers, public policy can adapt their regional open calls.
The results are disseminated in other farms through communication of the Chamber of Agriculture (tied with the Experimental Farm of Derval) + farmers visits . In addition, the Digital Farm of Derval welcomes student, so there is a long-term approach of the digitalization process, through education.
Once the digital farm proved a technology is efficient it shares the result to farmers who can eventually adopt it. Thanks to this experience sharing and adoption, farmers can then themselves promote the technologies and contribute to the digitalization of the whole ecosystem of end-users.
Technologies used in the Digital farm are chosen to fit the farmer’s need.
Resources needed
The annual budget of the digital farm is estimated at 600k€ / Year. Half of the budget goes to the HR. The resources are composed at 50% from the agricultural activity and the other 50% come from the budget obtained through open calls (whether they are regional, national or European).
Evidence of success
The milking robot introduced in 2008 was made possible to reduce the milking workload (approximately 900 fewer working hours)
Potential for learning or transfer
Transfer at the time of the open house of the farm (every five years), during the study visits of the farm, article in the press, newsletters, training ...
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Conseil Régional Pays de Loire
France
Contact
Technical advisor