Pre-Conference Visits
Delegates can choose one option from four sector‑focused tours. Each provides a unique insight into farming, food production and innovation across Yorkshire.
Option 1: The Future of Farming: Regeneration, Renewable Energy & Fine English Wine
A curated exploration of regenerative agriculture, hydropower & vineyard excellence
Option 2: The Future of Farming: Brewing Heritage & Next-Generation Pig Research
From traditional Yorkshire brewing to cutting-edge pig unit research and insect protein development
Option 3: The Future of Farming: Advanced Pig Production & Protein Innovation
A focused look at modern pig systems, applied research and emerging feed solutions
Option 4: The Future of Farming: Dairy Processing, Scale & Sustainability
An exclusive insight into world-class dairy manufacturing and cooperative innovation
Places on all tours are limited and allocated on a first‑come, first‑served basis, so early selection is strongly encouraged. Full details and timings are available below.
Option 1
A curated exploration of regenerative agriculture, hydropower & vineyard excellence
Departing Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 11:15am
Returning to Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 5.00pm
Lunch included, kindly sponsored by Stephen Throup NSch
Cost - £20
Step into a day that celebrates innovation, landscape and the future of British farming. This combined tour brings together two exceptional Yorkshire stories — one rooted in regenerative agriculture and renewable energy, the other in award‑winning English wine crafted from the region’s unique soils.
🍇 Yorkshire Heart Vineyard & Brewery
The tour starts at the Yorkshire Heart Vineyard with a light lunch followed by the tour. It is a family‑run vineyard and brewery set in the rolling countryside between York and Harrogate. With more than 20,000 vines nurtured on site, Yorkshire Heart produces a celebrated range of still and sparkling wines, crafted entirely “grape to glass” on the farm. Your visit includes:
- A guided vineyard tour led by the knowledgeable Yorkshire Heart team
- Insights into their winemaking process — from hand‑harvesting to fermentation and bottling
- A tasting of their award‑winning wines, shaped by Yorkshire’s distinctive climate and soils
- Time to enjoy the peaceful setting and hear the story behind this thriving rural enterprise
Yorkshire Heart is known for its warm welcome, deep passion for craft, and commitment to producing exceptional English wines.
🌾 Regenerative Farming & On‑Farm Hydropower
Hosted on a pioneering Yorkshire farm, the afternoon tour offers a close look at how regenerative principles are reshaping productivity, soil health and long‑term resilience. You will explore:
- Diverse, living soils and the practical systems used to rebuild them
- Integrated livestock and cropping approaches that reduce inputs and enhance biodiversity
- Visits to their mill and mix grain store, solo fencing, 50,000 hen unit and dairy unit with 5 Lely mk 5 robots
- A working hydropower installation, generating clean energy directly from the farm’s watercourses
Option 2
From traditional Yorkshire brewing to cutting-edge pig unit research and insect protein development
Departing Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 09:30am
Returning to Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 3:20pm
Lunch included in price.
Cost - £40
A rare glimpse inside one of Yorkshire’s most historic working breweries
Step into the heart of Tadcaster for an exclusive visit to Samuel Smith’s Brewery, a name woven into the fabric of Yorkshire’s brewing heritage since the 18th century. This is a unique opportunity to explore a traditional, independently owned brewery that still champions time‑honoured methods, local ingredients and craft rooted in place.
Your tour begins in the brewery’s historic courtyard before moving through key areas of production, where you’ll see how classic brewing techniques continue to shape the character of Samuel Smith’s beers today. Along the way, you’ll learn about the brewery’s commitment to local sourcing, its distinctive fermentation practices, and the role it plays in the wider agricultural landscape.
This is a working brewery with a proud sense of identity, and delegates will experience it as it truly is — authentic, unpolished and steeped in tradition. It’s a chance to understand how heritage businesses maintain relevance in a rapidly evolving food and farming sector, and how craft, community and continuity remain central to the Yorkshire story.
At midday, the end of this section you will take the coach to Spen Farm.
Exploring cutting‑edge livestock research without the need for PPE
This tour offers delegates a rare opportunity to explore the University of Leeds’ renowned Spen Farm pig unit through an immersive Virtual Farm Tour and you will be joined by the delegates from the Option 3 tour for the remaining of the day. Using high‑quality digital footage and guided expert commentary, you’ll gain insight into the research taking place on site, without the need for PPE or biosecurity protocols.
The virtual format allows you to see inside the unit’s housing systems, understand how trials are designed and monitored, and explore the latest work on nutrition, welfare, environmental performance and precision livestock technologies. It’s an accessible, biosecure way to experience a research environment that would normally be restricted to protect both animals and visitors.
After lunch, the session continues with an introduction to the University’s insect bioreactor, where insects are used to covert low‑value biomass into high‑value feed ingredients. This emerging technology offers a circular, resource‑efficient alternative to conventional protein sources, with potential applications in pig diets and wider livestock systems. You’ll explore the science behind insect farming, the engineering behind bioreactor systems and the role insect‑derived proteins may play in future feed strategies.
Together, these two elements provide a compelling look at how Leeds is driving innovation in livestock production — combining practical research, digital tools and future‑focused feed solutions.
Option 3
A focused look at modern pig systems, applied research and emerging feed solutions
Departing Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 11:15am
Returning to Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 3:20pm
Only 12 places available!
Lunch included in price.
Cost - £35
A practical look at modern pig production, digital farming tools and future feed innovation
This visit gives delegates a rare, behind‑the‑scenes look at cutting‑edge livestock research and technology at the University of Leeds renowned Spen Farm pig unit. The session begins with a guided pig unit tour, where delegates will be provided with PPE to safely enter selected areas of the facility. This hands‑on visit offers insight into housing design, welfare considerations, nutrition trials and the day‑to‑day realities of running a research‑active pig enterprise. It’s an opportunity to see how controlled studies are carried out and how data is gathered to support improvements across the sector.
To complement the physical visit, delegates will also take part in a Virtual Farm Tour with the delegates from the Option 2 tour. This offers access to areas of the unit that cannot be entered in person due to biosecurity requirements. Through high‑quality footage and expert commentary, you’ll explore the wider research environment, understand how trials are structured, and see how digital tools help visualise farm‑level decisions and performance.
After lunch, the session concludes with an introduction to the University’s insect bioreactor, where insects are used to convert low‑value biomass into high‑value feed ingredients. This emerging technology offers a circular, resource‑efficient alternative to conventional protein sources, with potential applications in pig diets and wider livestock systems. Delegates will gain insight into the science, engineering and sustainability potential behind this rapidly developing field.
Together, these three elements provide a rounded, future‑focused look at how Leeds is advancing livestock production — from today’s practical challenges to tomorrow’s feed and farming solutions.
Before attending, all delegates must read the biosecurity policy below and ensure they fully comply with its requirements. This is essential to protect animal health and maintain the integrity of ongoing research.
Option 4
An exclusive insight into world-class dairy manufacturing and cooperative innovation
Departing Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 11:00am
Returning to Royal Armouries Museum by coach at 4.00pm
Lunch included in price.
Cost - £25
Join us for an in‑depth visit to Arla’s Stourton Dairy, one of the most advanced and sustainable dairy processing sites in the UK. This tour offers a rare opportunity to see large‑scale milk processing, cutting‑edge technology and Arla’s approach to environmental responsibility in action.
Your visit begins with a short coach journey from the Royal Armouries Museum to the Stourton site, where you’ll enjoy a 90‑minute guided tour of the dairy. Delegates will gain insight into Arla’s production systems, energy efficiency measures and the cooperative model that underpins the business.
After the tour, the group will move to Arla HQ for a hosted lunch, followed by presentations and a Q&A session with Arla’s senior team. This is an excellent chance to explore the future of dairy, supply chain innovation, and the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.
