Winning prototype now in stores
Only nine months after showing their prototype to the world at Fieldays 2021, Springarm products are now available at Farmlands stores.
The flexible ballcock arm for water troughs has won the respect of farmers nationwide. The trough arm lowers the risk of failure in a farm’s water system, in turn, saving farmers water, time, money and stress.
Springarm cofounder Marianne Awburn says the team is excited to supply farmers with Springarms in their preferred way – in a shop near them.
“The partnership with Farmlands means farmers can buy the arms the same day they realise they need one. Farmers are generally visual and tactile people, so being able to see and feel the product is an important service we can now offer across the country.”
Springarm won the 2021 Prototype Innovation Award at the Fieldays Innovation Awards. The judges observed that despite there being a strong field of high-tech entries, Springarm was a simple, but effective solution.
“Springarm is a remarkably simple and elegant solution to a well-defined and common problem,” the judges noted. “We were also impressed by the thought put into the product’s design and the clear and immediate commercial opportunity provided to its inventors.”
Shortly after their Fieldays Innovation Award win, Springarm partnered with Metalform to scale manufacturing so they could meet soaring demand. Previously, cofounder Rick Awburn and his three sons were manufacturing the Springarms in their shed by hand.
Farmlands contacted the team in December, having seen Springarm’s online digital marketing and customers and shareholders asking for it in-store.
Farmlands water management and irrigation category manager Ben Anderson says: “It’s in Farmlands’ DNA to disrupt the status quo and support innovations that bring practical solutions to customers and the sector.”
Fieldays Innovation Awards is now accepting applications for this year’s show.
The Springarm team will be working on additions to their product range to solve water worries for more farmers and will be entering the earlystage category this year.