Entrepreneurial Aberdeenshire beef farmer Jilly Grant has won a prestigious national award for innovation.
It recognises her trailblazing achievements as co-founder of agritech firm Herd Advance.
She was presented with her National Women in Agriculture (NWA) gong at a ceremony at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London.
Now in their second year, the awards aim to strengthen the network of women in UK agriculture. They also throw a well-deserved spotlight on some of their achievements.
Digital herds made possible by innovative agritech business in Oyne
Jilly and her husband, Murdoch Duncan, launched Herd Advance in 2018.
The business is based on their farm at Newton of Ardoyne, Oyne, near Insch.
Its Stockman technology lets farmers monitor livestock in real-time and sort cattle automatically, effectively digitising their herds. Designed and built by the co-founding duo to give farmers better data, Stockman can help with beef farm decision-making.
Round-the-clock cattle monitoring
The technology is incorporated into walk-in water station, where cattle go to drink.
Livestock are weighed multiple times daily, with the system alerting the farmer if animals fail to appear, either through illness or injury.
Paired with a cutting-edge mobile application, the system allows farmers to monitor the statistics and status of their herds around the clock from a smartphone or other device.
Jilly’s NWA success was in category with a shortlist of three finalists.
“I am deeply honoured,” she said, adding: “This recognition means so much, not just personally, but for the work we’re doing at Herd Advance to drive the transformation of sustainable livestock production.
‘Significant opportunities’
“My previous roles in data-driven industries made me aware of the significant opportunities available in the beef sector to enhance production efficiencies, profitability and animal welfare through real-time monitoring that supports decision-making.
This award is about more than innovation – it’s about impact. It’s about using technology and insight to drive real, lasting change in agriculture.” Jilly Grant
“We just had to develop a practical solution to deliver this, and that’s where Stockman was born.
“For me, this award is about more than innovation – it’s about impact.
“It’s about using technology and insight to drive real, lasting change in agriculture.
“I hope this recognition inspires others, especially women in agri to keep pushing, questioning, and creating. The future of our industry depends on it.”
Add-on animal health tech
Herd Advance’s systems are built and tested at Oyne.
Jilly and Murdoch, chief executive and chief operating officer respectively at the company, are now working on add-on animal health technology.
This includes thermal imaging systems which focus on the body temperature of each animal when it comes to drink. This valuable information may indicate when animals are unwell, even before they show physical signs.
It may also show when female cattle are most fertile, or when pregnant animals are about to give birth.
Simple measures of weight, water intake and temperature provide a strong correlation to health, stress and profitability of the herd. They can be used for suckler and finisher units in enterprises of all sizes.
Conversation