Today, we explore Jaqueline and Stefano’s experience – owners of a farm in Italy growing blueberries, potatoes, maize and beans – together with Andrea and Xileny from LINKS Foundation, GUARDIANS’ technology providers for the Italian pilot.
Let’s start from the beginning of this experience: what were your expectations on both sides?
Andrea is the first to speak, setting the tone of the conversation.
“The idea behind this experience is to experiment,” he says. “Working with farms allows us to see both the potential of a solution and its limitations. Even the problems are valuable, because they help us improve. And we needed to test our new solution in real conditions.”
Xileny nods, picking up from there.
“For me, this experience was also about entering a world that is often observed from a distance. We wanted to understand how things really work on the farm,” she explains. “You can imagine processes in theory, but the reality is very different, especially when it comes to the timing of the natural cycles of crops.”
Jacqueline and Stefano, on the farm’s side, agree.
“Farming is anything but predictable. Every season is different. Every crop behaves in its own way. There are so many variables, and you really need experience in the field to understand what is happening. Despite our age, we are no longer young farmers, we wanted to experiment with some new solutions that younger farmers may exploit more in the future.”
How did the implementation phase go in practice?
Andrea gestures toward the farm.
“The technology we are developing is CERERE, a decision-support system platform that supports crop production. We started with workshops to explain the technology’s functionalities and use. Then we visited them at their farm in Boves (Piedmont region, Northern Italy). Each session was tailored to the specific crops of the farm: blueberries, potatoes, maize and beans, in this case. The idea was to test the platform together and then let farmers explore it independently in their everyday lives.”
Jacqueline laughs softly.
“We tried to do our homework, but we find it hard to change our habits! My husband, even more than me, usually goes into the field and just knows what’s happening. He was not sure he needed an app for that. But clearly, an app integrating several data sources, including weather data, tells you more than you can simply know from naked-eye observations.”
Andrea nods.
“That’s why feedback from the field is so crucial. Even when the tool isn’t fully used, it tells us something. We understand what we need to improve to make it more user-friendly.”
Have you seen benefits since you started working together?
Jacqueline leans back and smiles.
“Yes, it’s important that someone listens. Often, farmers feel like the last wheel of the wagon. But here, they genuinely tried to help us, despite us being inexperienced with technological solutions. And we saw how the platform could help us!”
Andrea intervenes:
“In fact, this is a two-way exchange. We bring technological knowledge, but farmers’ experience is what truly gives value to the system. Without them, we would have never fully understood that agriculture has its own timing, and we need to adapt our work accordingly.”
Any challenges?
Stefano pauses, thinking.
“Time is the hardest part. When you’re busy in the fields, that comes first. Also, we are not that young! We tried to update the platform, but it wasn’t always regular. Jaqueline helped me with that… I would feel lost.”
Andrea leans forward.
“Distance was also a challenge. We’re based in Turin, an hour and a half away. We tried to support them remotely, via WhatsApp, but only when necessary, to avoid overwhelming them.”
If you look ahead, what do you see?
Jacqueline nods, a glint of pride in her eyes:
“It’s nice to feel that agriculture matters, that someone is paying attention and trying to help. If younger farmers are involved, they will embrace it faster. For now, sharing our experience can help others understand what to expect.”
Andrea smiles and concludes:
“We are already working on improvements for the platform. For example, a chatbot that allows farmers to input information quickly via messages, rather than navigating the full platform.” He adds: “And beyond technology, this project created connections between city and countryside, between generations, and even at the European level. That’s the most valuable legacy.”
