The development of the NAAS Experimental Husbandry Farms

The British countryside has changed significantly over the course of 80 years and so have we. As we mark this milestone, we’re looking back at some of the projects, places and people that have shaped ADAS. In our earliest years, we became known for our nationwide network of Experimental Husbandry Farms.

Following the creation of our predecessor, the National Agricultural Advisory Service (NAAS) in 1946, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries began acquiring a network of farms and experimental stations across England and Wales. The idea behind these farms was to make them ‘living laboratories’ where new ideas in crop production, livestock management, mechanisation and business management were tested under real farming conditions.

Sites were selected to represent different farming enterprises, soils and climatic conditions, helping our farm consultants provide authoritative, relevant advice to all English and Welsh farmers. These farms were usually the first to test new systems and techniques to demonstrate their practical value before recommending to farmers to try on their own farms.

Sites were added to the network throughout the 1950s but from the early 1980s onwards, changing government priorities and reviews led to the closure, sale or reorganisation of several sites. By 1988, the Experimental Husbandry Farm network comprised of 12 farms:

Since then, our approach has continued to evolve away from running our own managed farms. Today, researchers from our seven research offices work predominantly on fully commercial local farms using commercial equipment, aided by technologies such as GPS and precision approaches like Agronomics.

Thank you to our host farms

Although the original Experimental Husbandry Farm network has transformed, its underlying principle continues: practical research that works for farmers. We remain grateful to the farmers and growers who provide their land, knowledge and support that make our research trials possible.

If you are interested in crop trials and have a farm close to any of our current sites, we would love to work with you. Please do get in touch with us via enquiries@adas.co.uk.