• WSGA •
Our Projects
Growing Sussex Project
At WSGA, we’re proud to collaborate with schools, colleges, and industry partners to bring horticulture careers to life for students like you. Whether you’ve discovered us through a workshop, a careers fair, or word of mouth, we’re thrilled you’re here to explore the vibrant opportunities this sector offers. From hands-on roles to high-tech careers, horticulture is full of potential—and we’re here to help you grow your future in it.
5G DSIT
One of the most exciting projects with which WSGA is currently involved is the Department of Science, Innovation
and Technology’s (DSIT) 5G Innovation Regions project with the Digital Infrastructure team at West Sussex County Council. This Growing Sussex project is a collaborative initiative which brings together commercial growers, education partners, ourselves as a grower association, technology implementation providers, and strategic and investment partners. We are working together to integrate 5G, AI, and IoT technologies, with the aim of promoting data-driven decision making in the growing of fresh produce to ultimately drive economic growth in our member businesses and hence West Sussex as a whole.
Wicks Farm
One of the commercial growers involved in this project is innovative strawberry growers, Wicks Farm part
of Agricultural Investments, based in Ford in West Sussex. David Moore, Director of Agriculture and his team grow strawberries 12 months of the year in state-of-the-art LED-lit glasshouses. Wicks Farm became the first live site of this project at the end of July when the project successfully installed a private 5G network across the site, enabling advanced monitoring and management of the glasshouses which will enable an increased level of data-driven decisions. This will be achieved through the use of IoT monitors which will support the growing environment to be more efficient. This data will help the growers maximise photosynthesis in the glasshouse and therefore optimise the yields and quality of fruit.
The Greenhouse Sussex
The second commercial grower is tomato producer The Greenhouse Sussex based on Lake Lane in
Barnham. Duncan Toms, General Manager and his team have been working with the 5GIR Project Partners to set up a trial to showcase the benefits of a private 5G network along with a suite of climate control sensors which will be fitted into one of their glasshouses. By the end of the 2025 growing season these sensors will be giving real-time data readings through the network that include temperature, am active radiation monitor, conductivity and dissolved oxygen information. The project has allowed The Greenhouse Sussex to invest in a new pest and disease monitoring system and an updated climate computer.
As well as the site-specific benefits, these projects will also benefit horticulture as a whole. One of the big challenges in horticulture is educating the next generation and finding our managers of the future. This project ensures we work ever more closely with colleges in the area, particularly Plumpton and Brinsbury, who have strong horticultural cohorts.
Plans are already in place for student and lecturer visits to the commercial growers, talks to students about career opportunities in horticulture, working with the colleges to identify skills gaps in our workforces and devise ways to fulfil the sharing real-time data to students in horticulture.
Water Resilience Project
In 2024, WSGA were awarded Local Resource Option funding to review how precious water resources can be optimised as we all face the challenges of climate change. Three growers located within a few miles of one another: Barfoots, Newey and The Summer Berry Company have all been involved in this study and are looking at possible water sharing opportunities, storing flood water and a range of other options.
WSGA have worked with Water Resources South East and the NFU’s National Water Resources Specialist, Dr Mark Betson to discuss the challenges around water resilience and the value of planning ahead and looking for opportunities.
