Sandy is a new independent suite of software claimed to support farmers who wish to take control and capture the full value of their natural capital. Tom Allen-Stevens reports.
A new simple-to-use and “revolutionary” software tool has been released that’s claimed to accurately assess and capitalise on the true value of farm output, land use practices and embedded carbon and nature.
Sandy has been developed by independent agri-tech newcomer Trinity AgTech. The company’s aim is to “establish a robust and prosperous ecosystem” in food and farming and Sandy has been launched as a digital assistant that will help farmers confront “unprecedented change in farm subsidies and uncertainty in agricultural markets”.
Carbon accounting and biodiversity indicators represent opportunities for farmers to capture different and diverse income streams, says Richard Williamson.
“Our industry is changing, and Sandy has come at a time when farmers are asking themselves how their business will evolve,” says Trinity AgTech senior managing director, Richard Williamson, previously managing director and farms director of Beeswax Farming and Velcourt respectively.
“Within this change, there are opportunities for farmers to capture different and diverse income streams. However, what’s missing is clear and robust information to succeed in these.”
Sandy has been developed by a team of over 30 scientists and engineers in consultation with farmers and industry leaders who sit on Trinity AgTech’s Advisory Board, including former AHDB chairman Peter Kendall and current Assured Food Standards chairman Christine Tacon. Major retailers, co-operatives and banks also back the use of the software, notes Richard.
So what does Sandy do? There’s a range of tools that capture every aspect of financial and environmental data, says Trinity AgTech. Significantly this includes carbon footprint and biodiversity assessments, completely unique to Sandy. The software pulls in productivity zone management at subfield level, crop performance, growth, nutrient status and yield prediction monitoring. This is combined with data on farm productivity and financial analysis at farm, crop and field level.
Jake Freestone hopes Sandy will help him capture value from his high standards of production, net-zero and biodiversity achievements.
Jake Freestone, 2020 Soil Farmer of the Year and farm manager of Overbury Farms, is trialling Sandy and says he’s excited about its ability for managing and monetising a path for farmers towards net-zero and biodiversity targets.
“For years at Overbury, we’ve worked hard to develop a rich and diverse farming system, improved the health and biology of our soils, provided habitats for its wildlife to thrive and a vibrant rural setting for the local community. It’s how we grow our crops, look after our animals and care for our countryside, and we want to capture those values in the produce that leaves our farm and the services we provide,” he says.
“With the quality of the science underpinning it and the industry backing it’s achieved, Sandy looks set to deliver what we’re looking for. It pulls into one place and makes sense of the many data sources we have. It provides clarity and precision through a range of tools that are remarkably easy to use. I hope Sandy will help direct us on our path to building local markets for food with trusted provenance and opportunities to capitalise on emerging income streams.”
With the ability to integrate and work alongside most existing farm management and financial recording tools, Sandy is now available for farmers looking to make their wealth of data work for them and can request a demonstration with one of the Trinity AgTech engineers via the website, www.trinityagtech.com
