This blog post is based on the 16th Practice Abstract from the second batch of Farmtopia Practice Abstracts.
For professional sheep and goat farmers, finding reliable information can be a challenge. Questions about feeding, animal health, rearing, milk production, economics or environmental management often require specific knowledge, but relevant information may be scattered across research papers, advisory materials, books and other sources.
Farmtopia’s SIP3 explored how digital tools and artificial intelligence can make this knowledge easier to find and use in everyday farm management.
Bringing specialised knowledge together
Capripedia and Ovipedia are digital knowledge platforms designed specifically for professional goat and sheep farming.
The platforms bring practical and technical knowledge together in one place. Their content is written by people with experience in the sector and reviewed by experts before publication.
Today, the platforms contain more than 200 community-written and expert-reviewed articles, covering topics including:
- Animal management
- Feeding
- Rearing
- Milk production
- Animal health
- Farm economics
- Environmental management
This specialised approach means that farmers, advisors, veterinarians and other professionals can look for information that is directly relevant to sheep and goat production, rather than searching through broad livestock information repositories.
Adding AI to the knowledge platform
The platforms have recently been enhanced with an AI-powered search function.
Instead of simply asking an AI system to generate an answer from general knowledge, the system first searches the Capripedia and Ovipedia knowledge base for relevant content. It then uses the retrieved information to formulate an answer.
This retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) approach helps connect the AI’s responses to the reviewed content available within the platform.
The system can also provide relevant images and other multimedia resources from the database. This can be particularly useful when a visual example can help users understand a disease symptom, housing feature, feeding issue or management practice.
Testing the tools with farmers
The system was made available to four pilot farms and further refined based on feedback from farmers and experts.
Farmers reported that the knowledge platform helped them find practical information more easily, while the wider digital solution package supported more confident decision-making.
During Pilot Phase 2, overall satisfaction with the tools was rated between 8 and 9 out of 10, with users also considering the tools easier to use than during the first phase.
It is important to note that the project did not conduct a controlled comparison measuring the time required for AI-supported searches versus conventional article browsing. The reported improvement in access is therefore based on observed use and farmer feedback rather than a formal speed test.
A specialised resource for sheep and goat farming
Capripedia and Ovipedia combine several features that can make digital knowledge support more practical for farmers.
The platforms:
- Focus specifically on dairy sheep and goat farming
- Combine community contributions with expert-reviewed content
- Allow users to interact with the knowledge base through conversational search
- Provide multimedia resources alongside relevant information
- Can connect practical knowledge with issues identified through the Small Ruminant GHG Monitor
This creates a more connected digital knowledge environment where information can support farmers alongside other decision-support tools.
Using AI responsibly
The AI function is intended to support information retrieval and explanation, not to replace professional judgement.
Farmers are encouraged to ask clear and specific questions, review the supporting article and consider whether the information applies to their own farm conditions.
The system can only answer using information available in its knowledge base, meaning that answers may be incomplete when relevant content is missing or when a question is unclear.
For health problems, medication decisions and significant changes in farm management, farmers should continue to consult a veterinarian or qualified advisor.
Making specialised knowledge easier to access
The experience from Farmtopia SIP3 shows how combining expert-reviewed knowledge with AI-supported search can make specialised agricultural information more accessible.For sheep and goat farmers, the goal is not simply to add another digital tool, but to make existing knowledge easier to find, understand and apply when decisions need to be made on the farm.
Explore Capripedia and Ovipedia
Capripedia: Capripedia.com
Ovipedia: Ovipedia.net
Based on Farmtopia Practice Abstract 16
This blog post was created from Practice Abstract 16: “Capripedia/Ovipedia: An AI-Powered Knowledge Platform for Sheep and Goat Farming (SIP3)”, part of the second batch of Farmtopia Practice Abstracts.
Publisher: Govaerts & Co, Quadrifolium
Authors: Lander Govaerts, Wim Govaerts
Contacts: wim@wimgovaertsenco.be; lander@wimgovaertsenco.be