A Dragons' Den-style callout for farm-based business ideas, which started in Kingsclere, is expanding nationwide.

Pitch Up! is a collective of organic and regenerative farmers from Scotland to Cornwall, inviting businesses and ambitious start-ups to present their ideas in November.

Founded in 2021 by Tim May, at Kingsclere Estates, the initiative began with a single farm.

The Pitch Up! network now encompasses six farms, spanning more than 12,000 acres of land from Cornwall to Scotland.

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Pitch Up! founder Tim May is expanding the initiative (Image: Matt Austin) Pitch Up! founder and Nuffield scholar Tim said: "Our goal is to have a diverse mix of enterprises all operating off the land – using each other’s by-products or waste, and sharing knowledge, equipment and experience.

"Nature thrives on diversity; it also fuels economic resilience, helps create a closed-loop system, and builds stronger rural communities.

"As farmers, we have an abundance of land and natural resources – we want to share those resources and bring more people onto the land."

Farmer Stuart Oates joined the project, driven by his desire to see his organic, sustainable produce utilised more effectively.

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He said: "We’re very lucky to have space, land, machinery and generations of experience in running sustainable businesses, and can see so many more opportunities on our land – but we don't have time to do any more ourselves.

"That's why we want to give others the chance to use us to get their ideas off the ground while adding value to all of the amazing products and outputs of the farm, which are currently being under-utilised or wasted."

The Pitch Up! initiative has already seen the emergence of various businesses, including a foraged pet food brand, an insect farm, tallow makers and a mobile organic meat smoker made from old agricultural machinery parts – The Roaming Smoker.

Chris Saunders, founder of The Roaming Smoker, said: "The Pitch Up! scheme has really enabled my business to become financially viable, with better margins.

"Using old dairy cows from Kingsclere Estates, where we’re based, makes the business more resilient – as it’s using low value cuts of meat that would otherwise be turned into dog food, or wasted."

The 2024 application season launched on November 1, with Pitch Up! farms particularly interested in hearing from existing businesses looking to scale or expand, as well as new start-ups with innovative ideas.

For more information and to apply, visit the Pitch Up! website.