NUTAN
Soil supplement spreader to reduce labour for organic farmers.
In a collaboration between Design Factory Melbourne, Kyoto Institute of Technology and Japan-based company Yanmar, students examined the farming practices of small-scale organic agriculture, and developed a labour-reducing solution to bed preparation which did not diminish from the farmers’ connection to their land.
A soil supplement spreader, Nu-tan reduces the time and physical labour required for soil bed preparation on organic farms. Nu-tan combines the actions of dispensing and spreading of soil supplements into one, which significantly saves organic farmers time and physical labour.
THE TEAM
THE PARTNER
Japanese engineering company Yanmar’s core business sits in the development of diesel engines, agricultural machinery, power generation, construction equipment and marine vessels. Recognising that the future is shifting to renewable technologies and to electric powered systems Yanmar are looking further into the complexities of their individual markets to identify new product opportunities in order to stay competitive.
CHALLENGE
Yanmar challenged the team to create a labour-reducing solution for small scale organic farmers of ground grown produce, in a way that does not hinder their connection to the crops. The solution must assist in minimising physical labour to maximise output and make the process more efficient and enjoyable.
SOLUTION
Organic farmers value the connection they have with their land – this is what primarily distinguishes them as being organic. Bed preparation is a time consuming and labour-intensive task within the field of non-crop handling actions.
Nu-tan is a tool that evenly distributes and spreads soil supplements during the stage of bed preparation. Nu-tan combines the actions of dispensing and spreading of soil supplements into one, which significantly saves organic farmers time and physical labour. This gives organic farmers back the time for the crop handling actions they enjoy.
