Election of President

Graham Higginson, IEng, REnvP, FIAgrE

Graham has been an active member of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, joining as a student member at the beginning of his agricultural engineering education and training, joining the Herts and Essex branch committee soon thereafter. Having completed his studies, Graham took the branch secretary role and had his first foray into governance not long after, joining the Council to represent the voice of the engineer within the dealer network. A change of vocation and location meant Graham joined the Wrekin Branch committee, taking role of branch secretary and currently Chair.

In recognition of his dedication to IAgrE branch affairs, Graham received an Institution Meritorious Award in 2012. Through his practical work in the dealerships, Graham achieved Member (MIAgrE) membership and IEng registration, proudly mentoring professional registration applicants. Graham later joined IAgrE Council and Executive mid-2010’s representing the voice of agricultural engineering education. Graham has since been a member of numerous IAgrE committees, including a founding member of the Professional Development Committee, and is currently a Vice-President. Graham was honoured to receive the 2023 Award of Merit in recognition of his outstanding service to the Institution and his dedicated support to students of agricultural engineering. Graham was the first IAgrE Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP) with the Society for the Environment (SocEnv). As a result of this, Graham was accepted to the Registration Authority and the Board of SocEnv, advocating REnvP representation. During his Board tenure, Graham assisted SocEnv develop accreditation of training courses process and procedure, which should have favourable outcomes for IAgrE soon.

Graham is proud of his professional registrations, and in his role as Principal Lecturer in Agricultural Engineering at Harper Adams University, he promotes new entrants to the wider land-based activities that encompass agricultural engineering. In addition to the roles of governance that Graham has held over the last 15 years or so, he continues to support the IAgrE in their recognition of professions relevant to IAgrE membership and registration, such as the untapped membership potential of professional registration to those employed within the wider ‘green’ environmental careers. To add further value to the Douglas Bomford Trust student sponsorship, Graham aligned the Harper Adams University placement assessment for placement students to the Engineering Technician (EngTech) competence statements. Over the last few years, this has resulted in many students recognising the value and seeking professional registration before graduating.

Whilst maintaining a personal connection to agricultural engineering activities, through his family farm, as President-Elect, Graham’s primary goal is to reaffirm IAgrE’s position as the professional body for all persons with an interest in engineering, science and technology helping meet global challenges such as food security, health and wellbeing, life on land and below water in response to the ever-changing climate around the world.

None of this can be done without the IAgrE Secretariat and more importantly, the unsung hero volunteers at all levels that make the IAgrE function, and I am resolute in supporting these people in their representation on national IAgrE and professional body committees and across the Branch network.

Raymond King, CEng, MIAgrE

With my roots in agriculture and as a Chartered Agricultural Engineer, I am passionate about championing the importance of farming and engineering, both nationally and internationally. Working alongside farmers throughout my career, I have seen first-hand the value of the engineering mindset: breaking down complex problems and delivering safe, practical, and reliable solutions that work in the real world.

IAgrE provides vital support for engineers and technicians at all stages of their careers, ensuring skills and achievements are properly recognised. I am committed to making sure the Institution continues to evolve, remaining relevant, inclusive, and forward-looking in a rapidly changing sector, ensuring agricultural engineers have a home and amplified credibility. As an engineering and technology consultant, I have been able to benefit from the legitimacy and professional recognition that being a member of IAgrE brings. As part of building my consulting business I have also benefited from the networking opportunities that IAgrE offers.

In recent years, farming and agricultural technology have become central to national debate, attracting major investment and growing media attention. If elected President, I want IAgrE to capitalise on this momentum—growing membership by welcoming a new generation of engineers, technologists, environmentalists and coders who may not come from traditional farming backgrounds but are deeply motivated to support agriculture into the future.

Alongside this, I believe IAgrE should be a professional home for forward-thinking, solutions-focused farmers as valued members. There is enormous benefit in strengthening the professional and personal relationships between engineers and farmers, and I see this collaboration as essential to driving meaningful innovation across the sector.

As co-host of Brash Ag, a leading agricultural technology podcast, I have had the privilege of speaking with innovators, politicians, farmers, and technologists. Through these conversations, I help bring their stories to life—showcasing their work, highlighting the vital role agricultural engineering plays in shaping the future of farming to a wider audience as well as broadening my own understanding. While building Brash Ag, I have also seen the power of social media to help grow a loyal following and during my time at Small Robot Company I saw how important social media is to staying relevant as an organisation and as a way to gain mainstream coverage. I want IAgrE to make more effective use of social media, digital platforms and the new website. Used well, these tools allow us to showcase members’ work, celebrate success, attract new audiences, and clearly communicate the relevance and impact of agricultural engineering to society.

Through developing direction and strategy IAgrE will continue to grow and be recognised for the enormous value it brings to its members and the wider world as part of tackling some of the big challenges facing agriculture now and into the future.