Mark your calendars for Transition Live 2025

Expert knowledge, engaging Q&A sessions and thought-provoking farm walks are all on the agenda at Farmers Weekly’s Transition Live event in Yorkshire on 8 May 2025.

Last May, the success of the inaugural Transition Live event saw it cement its place as a key fixture on Farmers Weekly’s Transition Project calendar.

The project aims to help make your farm more environmentally and financially sustainable.

In line with that philosophy, the event offered practical advice and research findings from experts, along with an opportunity to network with like-minded farmers.

This year’s event in Leeds will build on the inaugural success and tackle challenging practical issues in short presentations headlined by policymakers, farm business leaders, researchers and farmers.

Presentations

Presentations will come under three broad headings:

• Food production Getting the best from soil – economically and agronomically
• Environment Generating revenue, from natural capital to carbon sequestration
• Business Optimising business margins through inputs and outputs.

With the scenes set, the audience will hear from expert panels and get the chance to engage in Q&A sessions on practical, policy and financial issues.

Farm walks

Also central to the event is the chance to take part in relaxed and informative farm walks around the University of Leeds’ Spen Farm.

The mixed farm is owned by the university and managed commercially.

University of Leeds’ Prof Pippa Chapman explains that the farm unit includes arable, grass leys, permanent pasture and farm woodlands, with extensive areas of managed hedgerows.

That means visitors will be able to choose from three different farm walks according to their interest and farm situation, says Pippa.

• Walk 1 Regenerative agricultural trial The trial compares conventional management, including ploughing and inorganic fertiliser applications, with different combinations of regen farming. These include min-till, mixed-crop varieties, planting understories/living mulches and changes in rotation to include herbal leys.
• Walk 2 Biomass trial A joint initiative between Leeds and York universities, run by Niab, which evaluates renewable crop management including willow, poplar, eucalyptus and miscanthus.
• Walk 3 (still to be finalised) Will likely cover agroforestry, pasture and hedges, along with a look at Niab forage trials.

Networking and CPD points

Outside the busy schedule, Transition Live offers visitors the chance to network with farmers, researchers and policymakers.

Everyone is facing business, environmental and production challenges, and Transition Live provides a golden opportunity to meet up, compare notes and trade ideas.

Transition Live is also a Basis-registered event where attendees can collect three continuous professional development (CPD) points.

There will be a designated area at the event where you can complete the necessary forms so don’t forget to bring along your Basis account number.

• For more information and to book tickets, visit the Transition Live 2025 hub

Exhibit at Transition Live

Do you want to exhibit at Transition Live? If you are an exhibitor and want to make sure you can reserve stand space, please contact transitionlive@markallengroup.com

Get a flavour of what Transition Live has to offer in this video on last year’s event.