Working with growers, researchers & industry partners
FarmingFutura is a multidisciplinary network of practitioners, researchers and industry experts, designing the future of Lean & Green farming — resilient food systems and the communities around them.
Disciplines within our network
Working with growers, researchers & industry partners
FarmingFutura brings together an exceptional mix of academic rigour, industry expertise, and hands-on farming knowledge — united by a shared belief that the future of farming must be both ecologically sound and economically viable.
We are practitioners and researchers who have spent careers working inside the systems we are now trying to transform. We understand the pressures small farmers face, the funding landscape, the policy environment, and the practical barriers to change — because we have navigated them ourselves.
Our Lean & Green approach draws on proven principles from systems thinking, regenerative agriculture, and operational excellence — translated into tools and models that work in the field, not just on paper.
Our work spans research, design, training and direct support — always with the goal of creating practical, scalable solutions for small farmers and growing communities.
We design integrated hubs that bring together sustainable food production, community resilience and systems innovation — creating local anchors for a transformed food economy.
From Controlled Environment Agriculture to regenerative agroforestry, we develop and pilot farming models that are financially viable, ecologically sound, and practically achievable for small producers.
Practitioner-led workshops, short courses and mentorship that translate complex systems thinking into skills growers can apply immediately — from soil health to supply chain resilience.
We guide small farmers through the full funding landscape — from Sustainable Farming Incentive and Countryside Stewardship to climate finance and charitable grants — with hands-on support at every step.
Our founding network brings together internationally recognised expertise in Lean thinking, regenerative agriculture, climate science and operational transformation — united by a commitment to practical, grounded change.
Professor Pauline Found is a Director of FarmingFutura, Founder Director of ServerGro Ltd, and an internationally recognised expert in Lean Thinking, systems design and sustainable food systems. She is a co-author of Staying Lean: Thriving, Not Just Surviving (Hines, Found et al., 2008), winner of the Shingo Research and Professional Publication Prize 2009 — the highest international award in Lean research — published by Cardiff Business School's Lean Enterprise Research Centre (LERC), the world's first dedicated Lean research centre. The Farm to Fork value chain framework, now adopted by the UK Government and European Commission as a policy concept, was developed and formalised at LERC during Pauline's time there. Her work at FarmingFutura focuses on regenerative agriculture, Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), resilient food supply chains and the development of Lean & Green AgriFood Hubs that integrate sustainable food production, community resilience and systems innovation.
Alison Beard-Gunter is a recognised expert in Lean transformation, operational excellence and digital transformation. With over 20 years' experience delivering complex programmes across manufacturing, agritech and biomanufacturing, she brings specialist expertise in programme delivery, culture change and innovation management — helping translate Lean & Green farming concepts into practical, scalable solutions.
Dr Jason Yapp brings over 30 years' experience in climate change, sustainable agriculture and low-carbon development. A specialist in regenerative farming, lifecycle assessment, climate finance and capacity building, he supports FarmingFutura's work on resilient food systems, farmer engagement and the development of practical Lean & Green farming solutions.
Graham Clark is a highly experienced Lean practitioner with more than 40 years' experience applying the Toyota Production System across automotive, food production and Controlled Environment Agriculture. He brings specialist expertise in operational excellence, process flow and continuous improvement to the development of sustainable Lean & Green farming systems.
Ray Found is a Director of FarmingFutura and an experienced electronic engineer and expert in Lean production systems, automation, infrastructure and operational systems design. With over 26 years' experience in Consumer Packaged Goods food grade manufacturing, he developed real-time production control systems, manufacturing networks and server infrastructure — bringing deep expertise in systems integration, operational flow and technical innovation to Lean & Green farming systems.
We apply the discipline of Lean thinking to the complexity of farming systems — removing waste, building capability, and designing solutions that scale. Rigorous in method, practical in application.
We start with deep listening and systems mapping — understanding the whole farm, supply chain or community before proposing any solutions.
We co-design models and approaches with farmers and communities — drawing on network expertise to create solutions that fit the real context.
We run focused pilots, measure outcomes honestly, and iterate fast — building evidence for what works before scaling investment and effort.
We turn proven models into transferable tools, training and frameworks — sharing freely across our network so impact multiplies beyond each individual project.
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Working with FarmingFutura has been a tremendous asset to Seedleaves. Their knowledge of regenerative farming, controlled environment agriculture and sustainable food production is exceptional, but what sets them apart is the ability to turn ideas into action. From developing successful funding proposals to guiding projects through delivery, FarmingFutura combines strategic thinking with practical support and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed. We have greatly valued their expertise, professionalism and collaborative approach.
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Working with FarmingFutura has helped us think bigger about what small-scale controlled environment agriculture can achieve. Their expertise in vertical farming, sustainable food production and project development has provided practical guidance and encouragement as we continue to grow Micro Acres Wales. We particularly value their passion for sharing knowledge, supporting community skills development and helping create new opportunities for local food production and environmental sustainability.
Drawing on the principles of the historic Land Settlement Association and applying modern Lean and Systems Thinking, this concept shows how a single integrated model can address unemployment, food resilience, skills shortages and environmental regeneration — simultaneously.
Many rural and peri-urban communities face a combination of interconnected challenges: unemployment, skills shortages, declining food resilience, limited access to affordable land, and increasing environmental pressures. Traditional approaches often address these issues in isolation, missing the opportunity to create lasting systemic change.
The Lean & Green AgriFood Hub reimagines community-scale food production by bringing together smallholders, growers and aspiring entrepreneurs within a supportive ecosystem designed to create new livelihoods, practical skills and resilient local food systems.
Rather than treating farming, skills, housing and employment as separate challenges, the hub integrates them into a single system — one that strengthens local food resilience, supports environmental sustainability and creates pathways for economic and social regeneration.
By combining affordable access to land, shared facilities and structured skills development, participants can build confidence, capability and sustainable livelihoods — with particular focus on people who are unemployed or seeking a career transition into food production, horticulture and green enterprise.
Year-round local production through CEA and regenerative growing, shortening supply chains and reducing dependence on imports.
Practical pathways into food production and green enterprise for people who are unemployed or seeking career transitions.
Soil health, biodiversity and environmental stewardship built into the operational model from the ground up.
Lean Thinking applied across the whole hub — integrating farming, skills, infrastructure and community into one coherent system.
A practical, scalable model for integrating community food growing infrastructure into new residential developments — designed for local authorities, planners and housing developers who want to go beyond minimum green space standards to create genuinely thriving communities.
New housing developments frequently deliver homes without the social, food and environmental infrastructure that makes communities genuinely resilient. Unlike passive allotment provision, the Urban AgriFood Hub is an active, supported system — with shared infrastructure, skills development and community governance built in from the start.
The model integrates six components: community growing plots, shared infrastructure, a compact Controlled Environment Agriculture unit, a community food hub building, a structured skills programme, and resident-led governance — all designed to connect and reinforce each other as a single lean system.
The hub aligns directly with NPPF requirements, Biodiversity Net Gain obligations, S106/CIL planning frameworks, and the NHS and National Food Strategy's healthy communities agenda — giving local authorities a fully policy-aligned model they can specify in planning obligations.
Designed for NPPF, S106/CIL obligations, Biodiversity Net Gain and healthy communities policy frameworks.
Productive planting, pollinator corridors and composting delivering 10–25% BNG uplift beyond standard amenity grass.
50–120 households engaged per development, with skills, fresh produce access and reduced social isolation.
Designed for developments of 150–500+ homes, with a retrofit model for existing estates and smaller sites.
Download the full concept document for local authorities and planners
Request Concept DocumentWhether you're a small farmer, a fellow researcher, an industry partner or a funder — there is a place for you in what we are building.
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