Owen Yeatman

Anaerobic digestion - a business inspiration

2006 Nuffield Scholar - OWEN YEATMAN - studied ‘Production of biogas from animal waste'

Dorset dairy and arable farmer, Owen Yeatman, set out on his Scholarship studies with a strong instinct that there was a huge potential for the application of anaerobic digestion technology on farms in the UK. His findings from overseas visits to commercial units in Germany and the USA helped not only establish the viability of biogas as a renewable power source, but the opportunity it offered to UK livestock and arable farmers - from an investment, build size and production reliability stand point. His confidence in the technology has been demonstrated amply by the building of his own 370 kw/h biogas plant at Lowbrook Farm. The first in the UK to be powered by crops and slurry, it will be fed with slurry from 400 cows and crops from 200 acres (maize and grass silage).

"My Nuffield gave me the chance and the reason to spend time researching a new business opportunity. Had it not been for the Scholarship, I would never have been able to focus on my topic to such a degree, or meet the people from whom I gained knowledge, insight and inspiration.
"My studies have given me a new farming direction, from which I am gaining great satisfaction."