Farming Innovatons To Be Celebrated At Great Yorkshire Show

Increasingly sophisticated advances in farm machinery and technology are part of a forward-thinking line-up at the 166th Great Yorkshire Show, with entries now open to celebrate agricultural innovation.

As part of a bigger and better Innovation Zone at the Show, the best of agricultural innovation is celebrated with the GYS Innovation Awards, which have grown to include five categories this year in recognition of this thriving area of the industry.

All farming and agri-businesses across the UK can enter the Awards, not just exhibitors at the Show. The categories are:

•    NEW FOR 2025 On-Farm Early Adopter of the Year: In recognition of forward-thinking farmers and land managers who are among the first to trial, implement, and champion new innovations on their farms.
•    Engineering Innovations: Encompassing machinery, robotics and automation solutions.
•    Digital Innovations: IT and computing solutions, such as new farm software systems.
•    Management Innovations: Including project-based innovations and process improvements or solutions to improve the efficiency, sustainability, and effectiveness of agricultural management.
•    UK Agri-Tech Start Up Business: Recognising agri-business entrepreneurs.

The GYS Innovation Awards and Innovation Zone are organised by the Farmer Scientist Network, which is supported by Show organisers, the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, to highlight new ways in which science and technology can find solutions and underpin innovation in agriculture.
Chair of the Farmer Scientist Network, Dr David George, said: “The adoption of new technology is essential to help farm businesses to operate as efficiently and productively as possible. Investment in these solutions can bring about all sorts of benefits, from aiding a business to make significant savings in the long run, to helping to overcome labour pressures by streamlining processes, admin and HR, to supporting first-class animal welfare standards.
“These Awards celebrate all of this, and we are delighted to be introducing a new award this year, for On-Farm Early Adopter of the Year. Being among the first to adopt new technology on-farm is not without risk, but incorporating the right innovations on your farm at the right time can be transformative for your business, and inspire wider adoption that benefits the industry as a whole. Innovation is a really exciting part of British agriculture.”

Entries are open on the Great Yorkshire Show website here: https://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/competitions/ – and close on Friday 6th June.

The Innovation Zone demonstrates the latest research and technology and its transformative impact on farming, featuring indoor exhibitor space, a stage hosting three talks daily and an extended outside area to showcase renewable energy solutions for farm businesses.
Among the Innovation Zone exhibitors this year is the 2024 GYS Innovation Awards Champion, Wolfenden Concrete, who are showcasing the Agri-Stride Vario cattle slats which benefit animal health and welfare, while other newcomers include Oxi-Tech whose Pulse Oxidation disinfectant enhances dairy hygiene.

Live displays of 18 varieties of cover and catch crops will showcase opportunities for income through sustainable farming, supported by Frontier Agriculture. Visitors are also encouraged not to miss the return of the Soil Doctor – this drop-in clinic gives farmers the opportunity to bring a clod of farm soil to the Show for an analysis of the soil’s health. The results can help inform land management decisions.
The Innovation Zone is a one-stop shop for farmers who are chasing percentage gains to drive forward efficiency, productivity and diversify income streams, with a comprehensive line up of experts on-hand to offer guidance and spark ideas.

All are welcome at the daily talks on a drop-in basis; there’s no need to register in advance. The topics are wide-ranging, including precision agriculture, soil health, renewable energy, future fuels, livestock health and nutrition and next-gen skills. The Innovation Zone stage will also host guest sessions including the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Women In Farming Network summer social on Thursday.
The Great Yorkshire Show will be held from Tuesday 8 July to Friday 11 July, on the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate. Tickets are in advance only and are on sale now. The 166th Show brings together the very best of British agriculture, attracting 140,000 visitors and 8,500 exhibiting animals for a four-day celebration of farming, food and the countryside.
The Show is elevating its digital platforms this year with a new GYS App and a new YouTube series focussing on some of the exhibitors and contributors who make the Show the success it is today. 

Subscribe to the Great Yorkshire Show YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/user/GreatYorkshireShow 

Download the Great Yorkshire Show App here: https://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/gys-app/ 

Farmer tickets offer those working in the industry extra flexibility to access to the Great Yorkshire Show. The tickets are discounted and available to use on any day of the Show. Farmer tickets are available to purchase, and are available online from https://greatyorkshireshow.co.uk/farmers/ and in person, subject to availability, at select farming outlets (see the website for details).