WiseFarmer Project – Connecting farm generations in the digital age

Project period: 09/2019-08/2021

More information: http://wisefarmer.eu

The direct aim of the project is to bring the younger and elder farm generations together in a common program for the exchange of knowledge, access to high quality learning opportunity, facilitating support and sustained collaboration for increased competence, from one side in the use of digital tools, from the other side the crucial farming practices based on local knowledge. Elderly farmers have local knowledge that is indispensable in the successful entrepreneurship at the farm level, while younger farmers are more advanced in the use of digital devices, but also lack their specific use in farming, as gaining local “slow” knowledge takes a considerable amount of time.

The project is to develop innovative learning methodology in several layers. Peer-to-peer learning - as farmers main and most trusted source of information are other farmers - and knowledge co-creation can give the generations an opportunity to learn in pairs, and by doing problem solving oriented exercises, they circumvent existing obstacles mentoring each other, therefore the skills of using digital tools can be successfully transferred in the local context as they are connected and matched with local farmer knowledge.

Project results will demonstrate the viability of the approach and methodology, as one of the possible techniques to overcome crucial challenges in the agricultural and rural sectors. The experience can be utilized in a wider strategic context for policymaking, to cope with the abandonment of farming activity especially by young people, the succession of farming, attracting new entrants into agricultural activities, the introduction of digital innovations in a responsible and effective way, suitable for smallholders' and family farmers' needs.

The project will achieve its results by five intellectual outputs: 

• conducting regional needs analysis and knowledge assessment in every participating country,
• developing a methodology and content for the learning program, and matchmaking technique for the selection process of mentoring pairs,
• creating a collaboration platform that provides learning content and functions, collects good practices and displays new digital tools (relevant for the region) and supports communication features that enable constant share of ideas and knowledge, using mobile and desktop devices,
• implementing the pilot learning program in Serbia and Hungary,
• extensively sharing project results using multiple channels, publishing the digital handbook titled “WiseFarmer Inventarium”.

Target group: Farmers, farm advisors

Participating countries: Greece, Croatia, Romania, Slovak Republic

Target countries: Hungary, Serbia