A little challenge every day
Chances are, if you’re interested in measuring the carbon footprint of your farm you know a bit about what my job entails. I’m here to support you and help more and more farmers measure the carbon footprint of their farm. Each day, I’m immersed in both the challenges and rewards of what this involves:
We get it – carbon footprinting a farm can be hard, every farm is different, time is short and sometimes we all face problems fitting the farm information we have into an online carbon calculator.
Rising to the challenge
Behind our calculator is an approachable team who benefit from a two-way process where we help you and the more we do this, the more we learn and can improve the calculator in the long term.
We put together online resources; we generate and record ideas which guide ongoing research into methodologies of calculating GHG emissions in agriculture; and we contribute to the development and testing of our software.
When we develop, and when we test – we’re looking to see if things are getting better – and since starting in April 2024 we’ve already seen some great improvements rolled out to the calculator. My role contributes toward this on an average day.
Starting the Day: Checking in with the users
The day kicks off with a review of support requests from users across the UK and farms around the world. Our users vary widely, from small family farms to large agricultural enterprises, and their technical needs are just as diverse. Questions cannot be predicted but range from understanding how to input specific data into the calculator to interpreting their carbon footprint results.
I love interacting with those farmers taking the important step of calculating a footprint. There are many reasons for doing this – and all are inspiring, so it is great to hear from those involved. By solving problems or helping guide users my small but crucial role builds our understanding of carbon data.
Mid-Morning: Developing resources for sustainable agriculture
A big part of my role is creating and updating online resources that help users maximize the calculator’s potential. I’ll work on developing these resources – which you can view in our FAQ’s, downloadable resources, instructional videos, or during training sessions.
We think many farmers work long hours and appreciate a well-organized, easy-to-navigate guide that helps self-starters make the most of the Calculator – we believe it should be possible to use the tool yourself and feel that satisfaction of having achieved something.
Afternoon: Finding a solution for businesses or environmental professionals
The afternoon usually involves working closely with our Calculator Manager and other team members to ensure the Farm Carbon Calculator continues to deliver for our professional and commercial users.
We rely on the legion of professionals, organisations, and partners who pay to use our software through licences, our excellent API, or in other ways to reach ever more farmers. Their fees support the work we do in all senses and this is clear in all our approaches to commercial work.
Staying informed in this area is critical for our relevance as the opportunities for us to help those working in carbon management and agricultural sustainability are constantly evolving.
Wrapping up: Reflecting on progress and user feedback
Toward the end of the day, I might be reviewing feedback from users on recent updates or features, and discussions from the morning. Positive feedback is always motivating, and constructive suggestions are tracked to help us improve.
Without farmers and others working hard on their footprints and their sustainability I either wouldn’t have a job, or wouldn’t have the inspiration to know what to do next. With that in mind – throughout the day you can reach me at the end of the phone or on email – so give me a call.
If you are an agricultural professional or large organisation you may want to see the services available for you, book a demo with us, or let me know if you want to learn more. Everyone else using the tool – just get started, create an account, or get in touch. You can reach us Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm on calculator@farmcarbontoolkit.org.uk
