Join us for #MembersHour on 22 October with Sam Grady.

ForestFactory® is a pioneering collaboration between climate-tech company A Healthier Earth and Blenheim Palace, using advanced vertical farming technology to transform how forestry seedlings are grown. By cultivating saplings in highly controlled environments, the team has reduced production times to around a quarter of those seen in traditional nurseries while producing resilient, high-quality planting stock designed for successful establishment in the field.

In this #MembersHour, Sam will share lessons from three years of trials and the production of more than 70,000 seedlings, exploring how innovation can help address some of the forestry sector's most pressing challenges.

Topics will include:

• The challenges facing modern forestry and tree establishment
• How Blenheim Estate has embraced technology and innovation to overcome them
• Key findings from three years of trials and the production of 70,000 seedlings
• The role of controlled-environment agriculture in building a more resilient forestry sector
• How foresters can access reliable, high-quality nursery stock with greater certainty of supply

Speaker

Sam Grady – Director of Strategy and Business Development, A Healthier Earth

Sam is the commercial lead behind ForestFactory®, having guided the project from concept to reality by building strategic partnerships and shaping its commercial direction. An economist by training, Sam brings more than a decade of experience in strategy, business model development, and the commercialisation of innovative ventures.

Prior to joining A Healthier Earth, Sam worked in HM Treasury and the Cabinet Office, where he specialised in the design and management of complex public-private partnerships and joint ventures. His expertise lies in turning ambitious ideas into commercially viable businesses that deliver both economic and environmental value.