Every day, small-scale sheep and goat farmers make decisions that shape the future of their farms: how to maintain productivity, protect animal health and reduce environmental impact while working with limited resources.
For generations, these decisions have been guided by experience-years spent observing animals, understanding the land and learning what works in practice. But as farming challenges become increasingly complex, from changing climate conditions to the need for more sustainable production, farmers need access to new sources of knowledge and practical support.
On 12 June 2026, Govaerts & Co and KU Leuven organised a SIP3 Open Day in Zowlle, Netherlands as part of the Horizon Europe Farmtopia project, focusing on SIP3 – Monitoring Emissions for Small Ruminants and the Capripedia/Ovipedia knowledge platform. The event brought together farmers, researchers and project partners to exchange experiences and explore how digital solutions can support the future of small ruminant farming.
Where tradition meets innovation
The Open Day took place at the farm of Mr. Henri van Assen and Mrs. Jasmijn van Assen, where participants explored how farming experience, diversification and innovation can work together to create more sustainable and adaptable production systems.
The farm combines dairy sheep production with on-farm dairy processing, a restaurant and facilities for meetings and events, creating additional value beyond primary production. It also focuses on producing as much of its own feed as possible, growing crops such as corn, winter barley, spring barley and grass-clover to support the nutritional needs of the animals.
The event highlighted a simple but important message: every farm has its own story, challenges and solutions. Sharing these experiences is essential for developing practical approaches that work in real farming conditions.
Learning from animals, data and each other
Farmers have always relied on observation and experience to adapt their practices. During the Open Day, discussions highlighted the importance of genetic diversity and breeding strategies in strengthening the future of small ruminant farming.
At the farm, participants learned about the introduction of Lacaune sheep into the flock to increase genetic variation within the existing Frisian dairy sheep population. The experience demonstrated how farmers continuously adapt their practices to improve resilience and animal performance.
Alongside these traditional approaches, Farmtopia’s SIP3 presented two complementary digital solutions designed to support small ruminant farmers. Capripedia-Ovipedia combines artificial intelligence with expert-reviewed knowledge to provide practical guidance on animal health, feeding and farm management. By making reliable information easier to access, the platform helps farmers make better-informed decisions when challenges arise.
A greenhouse gas monitoring tool complements this approach by helping farmers better understand the environmental impact of their activities and identify opportunities to reduce emissions while maintaining farm performance.
Together, these solutions demonstrate how technology can strengthen – rather than replace farmers’ knowledge and experience.
Building a community of shared knowledge
One of the key messages from the Open Day was that innovation does not happen in isolation. Farmers learn from each other, exchanging solutions developed through years of hands-on experience.
As Mr. Henri van Assen highlighted: “Everybody has experience with something. You should be able to share this via one site.”
This idea lies at the heart of Farmtopia’s approach: bringing together farmers, researchers, Agricultural Digital Solution providers and other stakeholders to co-create solutions that respond to real challenges faced by small and medium-sized farms.
Smarter tools for a changing landscape
A sustainable farm is built through thousands of daily choices – from feeding and breeding to animal health and resource management. Digital tools cannot replace the farmer who makes those choices, but they can provide new insights to support better decisions.
Through Sustainable Innovation Pilot 3, Farmtopia is demonstrating how artificial intelligence, environmental monitoring and farmers’ knowledge can work together to support more sustainable and adaptable sheep and goat farming across Europe. The future of small ruminant farming will be shaped not by technology alone, but by the connection between innovation and the knowledge built through generations of farming.