Brash Ag

In this episode of Brash Ag, hosts Raymond King and Kit Franklin dive into a packed January news round-up covering UK agricultural engineering, global farming challenges, and where the next generation of ag talent will come from. 🔧 We start with UK machinery shake-ups, including: • Chafer Machinery entering administration and re-emerging as Chafer Nexus under new leadership • Kidd Farm Machinery...

In this episode of the Brash Ag Podcast, Raymond King and Kit Franklin are joined by Simon Pearson — farmer’s son, ag-engineer, academic, commercial operator, and now MBE for services to agri-engineering after receiving a nomination by DEFRA. Simon’s career cuts across every part of the ag-tech system: From glasshouse engineering and patents at University of Reading To global supply chains and tec...

In this news-led episode, Raymond King and Kit Franklin dig into what really matters as UK agriculture heads into a turbulent new year. We unpack: 🚜 What the Farm Profitability Review actually means for ag-tech, machinery, and engineers 📉 Why policy uncertainty is freezing on-farm investment (even when changes are “positive”) 🤖 Where real opportunities exist for automation, robotics, and compli...

In this end-of-year Brash Ag episode, Raymond King and Kit Franklin sit down with Myles Ray, a mechanical engineering student on placement at Holbrook Engineering, to talk about what actually makes a good engineer — and why hands-on experience still matters in ag-tech. We cover: 🔧 From Harper Adams University workshops to real-world fabrication, welding, CAD, plasma cutting, and on-farm problem s...

Can micro-tractors replace an aging workforce in rural India? Can micro-entrepreneurs help finance the “robots as a service” dream? This week Kit and Ray go transcontinental to interview entrepreneur Trivikram Kumar, founder of Xmachines a robotics start-up focused on providing solutions for agricultural and landbased applications. Vikram shares his thoughts on the recent FIRA event in California...

What do we want from autonomy? Are farm robots the answer to on farm safety or are they an accident waiting to happen? This week Kit and Ray catch up with seasoned agricultural engineer and entrepreneur, Andy Newbold. We hear about how Andy carved out a niche in agricultural compliance and safety work at the tender age of 28, how he has also managed to pursue agricultural journalism and even found...

Have Monarch Tractors over-promised on ag autonomy and electrification? With a pending lawsuit one dealership in the US seems to think so… This week Kit and Ray catch up after a few weeks of travelling to take stock on the current state of agtech? What trends are defining agtech? Will the next steps be evolution or revolution? How will AI find a place amongst the growing range of products for farm...

Are we seeing a quiet shift in the world order of farm machinery? Can EV tractors provide a foot hold for Chinese tractor makers or will the sheer volume of the domestic Indian tractor prove the real game changer for Tafe? This week Kit continues grilling Ray about his recent trip to Agritechnica. We hear from: Tom Carnell from Regenovation on their innovative pump technology capable of delivering...

Will Chinese manufacturers steal a march on the big tractor makers? Are all agricultural robots just marketing fluff? Can the Germans run a train timetable as well as the British? This week Kit grills Ray on his recent trip to Hannover and the world's largest Agricultural Machinery event. We hear from: Juha Heikkila from Agco Power with their innovative new battery technology for tractors. Are the...

FIRA USA 2025; The robots have taken over FIRA — but where are the farmers? This week we hear part two of Kit's tour of FIRA USA in California and catch up with some of the hottest new developments in agritech. We hear from: Taylor Wetil of Soflintec on their solar powered, autonomous spot spraying robot, that promises to use automated refilling equipment to keep spraying without human input. Gary...

FIRA USA 2025; What does the future of agtech look like through the eyes of Silicon Valley tech nerds, venture capitalists and Californian farmers? Our man in the US, Kit, headed West for FIRA USA in California to check out the latest developments in agricultural robotics. We hear from; Andrew Stein from John Deere regarding their latest autonomous tractor intended in supporting the orchard sprayi...

Is AI set to take over farming as we know it? Will human farmers be replaced? The IAgrE Landwards conference recently brought together engineers, business leaders and technical specialists to hear how they see the future of farming being shaped and moulded by AI. Ray and Kit catch up to discuss the conference, what they learned and their own thoughts about whether AI will revolutionise agriculture...

When you think of cutting-edge agricultural robotics, Mississippi might not be the first place that comes to mind — but Professor Alex Thomasson is changing that. As Head of Ag & Biosystems Engineering at Mississippi State University and Director of the Agricultural Autonomy Institute, Alex has built one of the most ambitious autonomy programs in the U.S. — blending drones, cotton harvesters, and...

Clive Blacker started, built and sold his agtech company right here in the UK. Listen to find out how he did it… With a Nuffiled Scholarship as a launch pad and his technical experience from his early days keeping alive an old French sugar beet harvester. Clive took on trials and support for Yara and the N-Sensor. From there Clive was able to deliver next level decision making to farmers at a time...

This week the co-hosts question the nature of reality itself and explain how the virtual world could help farmers to solve real world problems. Ray talks about his first experiences with virtual reality as a child at a local fun fair in the 1990’s and Kit explains how virtual reality has been pitched to educational institutions such as Harper Adams as a tool to educate and train the engineers and...

James Write is a true pioneer, a first generation farmer and agritech entrepreneur with political ambitions in his sights. Kit and Ray hear how James found farming during his time as a broke gap year traveller looking to earn some cash on a New Zealand dairy and how this ignited a passion to pursue a crash course in agriculture at the Royal Agricultural University. James has explored opportunities...

This week, Ray and Kit go in person and in deep on drones in agriculture – from early hype to present-day reality. Kit recalls his 2012 vision of swarm robotics with seed-drone resupply, while Ray draws on his experience at Small Robot Company and the ever-present question: why not just use a drone? The pair explore how the drone code, safety legislation, and hardware limitations slowed innovation...

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to drive a 1970s tractor with an electric motor instead of an old diesel engine? Well this week the lads find out on a visit to Ben Bament of Somerset EV. With a degree in History, Ben didn’t follow a conventional route into engineering. As a self taught engineer, Ben has completed some incredible electric conversion projects, from an MG F sports car wi...

This week Kit and Ray say Namaste to a whole year of being Brash. To celebrate a year of broadcasting, the pair meet up for a pint in a pub, fresh off the back of a trip to Somerset EV and discuss some of their standout episodes and guests. Including; Is autonomy the silver bullet for farming - Why was this episode so popular? And what does the adoption of robotics in the UK look like now, have ei...

This week Ray and Kit sit down with Tom Beach, founder of Autonomous Agri Solutions and CTO of Bare Acres. Tom shares his journey from growing up on his family’s Warwickshire farm and working in the farm shop at weekends, to navigating education and turning his dyslexia into a superpower on the path to agricultural engineering. He tells the story of how a chance meeting at Agritechnica led to impo...

In this news feed episode Kit and Ray catch up on the latest developments in the L&Aser and Carbon Robotics legal battle following the interview with Laudando & Associates LLC in last week's episode. Did Chris follow through with his upload of the L&Aser IP to Github? The pair also share news of the sad closure of Vapourmatic a well known agricultural spares retailer in the UK by its parent compan...

This week the pair journey (virtually) across the Atlantic to Chew the cud with Agritech pioneer and innovator Chris Laudando Founder of Laudando & Associates. Chris shares his background growing up as a “Rust belt kid”, finding social mobility training as a mechanical engineer at Purdue University. Chris explains how he was able to leverage his skills and experience from the food processing indus...

Kit and a tired and delirious Ray catch up to hear about the new arrival in the King household. The pair also get the opportunity to chew the cud with Jonathan Gill to reflect on 10 years since the birth of Hand Free Hectare. Jonathan shares some fascinating insights into the development of drone tech and how his passion for this technology has shaped his career and helped to launch the Hands Free...

This week Kit returns from his soul searching trip to Scotland to “find himself” (the jury is still out on whether this has worked). The pair also delve into the mail bag to hear about some “Bale spike” products that listeners have been found out in the wild, including some correspondence from Adam Keene from OnTrak and Number 1 podcast fan Kieran Walsh from Grounded Advice. The Co-hosts talk thro...

This week Ray and Kit talk about funding and financing for Agtech and cleantech ventures, founder of Fresco CleanTech solutions as well as host of Bankable! Podcast, Doreen Abeysundra. Doreen describes herself as a “Recovering Banker” and she is now working with cutting edge technologies and businesses to become as she puts it…bankable! Doreen gives some really fascinating insights into the macro-...