The Future of UK Farming

Patrick Holden is the Founding Director and Chief Executive of the Sustainable Food Trust. After studying biodynamic agriculture at Emerson College, he established a mixed community farm in Wales
in 1973, producing at various times: wheat for flour production sold locally, carrots and milk from an 85 cow Ayrshire dairy herd, now made into a single farm cheddar style cheese. He was the founding chairman of British Organic Farmers in 1982, before joining
the Soil Association, where he worked for nearly 20 years and during which time the organisation led the development of organic standards and the market
for organic foods. His advocacy for a major global transition to more sustainable food systems now entails international travel and regular broadcasts and talks at public events. Patrick is the Patron of the UK Biodynamic Association and was awarded the CBE for services to organic farming in 2005.

Joel Salatin works alongside his wife Teresa, son Daniel, daughter Rachel, daughter-in-law Sheri, apprentices, interns, rental farmers, staff & animals to manage Polyface Farms in the Swoope region of Virginia, USA.

Joel wows packed audiences of all walks of life wherever he goes with his version of what he calls ‘Agritainment’. Joel has been labelled ‘The World’s Most Innovative Farmer’ by Time Magazine and is the author of 8 books, countless articles, and has led seminars and courses with tens of thousands leaving changed in the way they eat, farm and live.

Joel’s most recent title is ‘Folks this Aint Normal’ is a best seller and further expands this Heinz Award winner’s profile and message across the world. A man who truly walks his talk is a must-see wherever he goes with his capacity to communicate the means by which consumers can engage with farmers and how farmers can take control of not just production but also processing, distribution and marketing.

The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP was appointed Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 11 June 2017. He was elected Conservative MP for Surrey Heath in 2005.

Dieter is an economist specialising in utilities, infrastructure, regulation and the environment, and concentrating on the energy, water, communications and transport sectors primarily in Britain and Europe. Dieter is an Official Fellow in Economics at New College, a Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and the Chairman of the Natural Capital Committee. His book Natural Capital: Valuing the Planet was published by Yale University Press in 2016.

Professor Tim Morris is a veterinary surgeon with a PhD in large animal reproduction. He spent 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, gaining specialist qualifications in laboratory animal medicine in UK, Europe and the US, managing research facilities, and finally nationally and internationally in public affairs, media and interactions on animal use with investors, governments, welfare groups and commercial partners. He then spent 5 years as Director of Welfare and Science for British Horseracing, with veterinary, public affairs, media and welfare medication research roles. He is a non-executive member the UK Government’s Animal Health and Welfare Board for England and is a Special Professor in Laboratory Animal Welfare and Science at Nottingham University.

Edward Parsons is Estate Manager at the Waddesdon Estate, where he manages the Estate’s asset protection and sustainable enhancement. The Estate is a diverse Family run operation covering 6,600 acres of inhand farm and woodland, supplemented by let farms, a significant property portfolio, energy production, stud and a wide range of development projects including residential housing.

Joel Williams is a soils enthusiast and engaging presenter on soil health and integrated approaches of sustainable farming. He is an independent consultant and educator and presents lectures and workshops to primary producers around the world. He has a keen interest in managing microbial ecology and mineral nutrition to optimise soil function, plant immunity and food quality. Joel works with both conventional and organic producers and is encouraged by the soil health movement as a tool to bridge divides between production systems and facilitate a fruitful cross pollination toward innovative soil management.

Robin and his wife farm a pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd on their 480 acre mixed farm in the Scottish Borders. They started selling beef in 1999, launched Hardiesmill in 2001, introduced seam-cutting into Scotland in 2006, bought Tombuie Smokehouse in 2007 and have had an in-house butchery since 2008. The herd have been grass-reared since 2003 and Hardiesmill have been recognised as producing some of Scotland’s best beef since 2009.

Natasha is a part time MSc Agrifood Student and Local Authority Food Safety Enforcement Officer (Speaking in a personal capacity with the benefit of industry
and enforcement experience of both EC approved and exempt meat producers including poultry slaughter).

Kim is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects and Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute. Kim lectures in America and assists in national committees on landscape and environmental policy in the UK. Currently he is working on the grounds of the Natural History Museum in London and plans to combine landscape design with sustainable farming for future estates.

Andrew Sells was appointed Chairman of Natural England in January 2014. Andrew was previously Chairman of Wyevale Garden Centres and Linden Homes. He has held trustee roles with the Royal Horticultural Society and Policy Exchange. Andrew is a member of the National Trust, the Royal Horticultural Society, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Ben Pugh started Farmdrop, the former ethical grocery company, back in 2014. Ben spotted an opportunity for mobile technology to cut out the middlemen (supermarkets and wholesalers) from the food supply chain, and in doing so give a better deal both for farmers and customers. Ben is a former retail broker who has worked at Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan and PwC. He also worked on the IPO for Ocado back in 2010.

Will is co-founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust, and has been pioneering new directions for British pilgrimage since 2004. Author and Wandering Minstrel, he has taken British pilgrimage from Radio 4 to BBC 1 to Vogue Magazine.

Hylton has had a lifelong commitment to sustainability, with particular emphasis on the Amazon rainforest and renewable energy. The Blaston Estate was an intensively farmed largely arable operation of 1,000 acres until 7 years ago when Hylton began to practice conservation agriculture with the condition of the soil at the centre of his thinking. He has re-introduced rotational grassland, acquired a herd of 500 Highlander ewes and is building a herd of 200 pedigree Hereford cattle. Hylton is a director of Agrivert, the leading anaerobic digestion business, and Trustee of the Global Canopy Programme and of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust.

John is a fifth generation butcher. He graduated from Leeds University with a B.Sc. in Botany and in his words ‘I left university to go and work in the family business for a year to say thank you to my parents and I am still here 30 years later’. When his dad retired John and his brother Steven took over the family business as joint Managing Directors. They run three retail outlets, a cutting plant, bakery and an abattoir. Over the years the business has won numerous accolades including the Meat Trades Journal Top Shop and the BBC Food and Farming awards Best Local Retailer. John is a past president of the NFMFT and is also the current President, the Vice Chair of the Q Guild of Butchers and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers. He is an accredited Master butcher through the Institute of Meat and was very proud to be made a Fellow of the Institute for his services to the industry. John and his family firm have been featured on several TV programmes, most recently Countryfile. John is very passionate about the meat industry and tries to support fellow butchers as much as he can.

Agriculturalist with UK and International management and consultancy experience. In 1988 established organic meat and food company, Graig Farm Organics, and later a farmers’ marketing group supplying organic cattle and lambs to supermarkets. In 1999, with Richard Young, wrote report highlighting plight of smaller meat plants, and subsequently served on two MAFF committees, which changed system of charging for meat inspection, reducing charges to smaller abattoirs. Author ‘Much Ado About Mutton’ 2014. Bob joined the SFT as a policy adviser in 2017 and is co-author of ‘A Good Life and A Good Death: Re-localising farm animal slaughter’ with Richard Young.

Paddy grew up in the West Country milking Jersey cows during the school holidays, which led him to Royal Agricultural College and now he works as a land agent based in Lower Swell in the Cotswolds.

Guy started off as a chorister at Cambridge University where he did a PhD in music, but decided not to become a traditional academic, and instead has carved out a role for himself, as an explorer of the intersection between spirituality, psychology, the arts, nature and religion. Guy co-founded the British Pilgrimage Trust, after writing a PhD on how singing forms community. Guy also launched a website, www.choralevensong.org, where people can find local evensong services near them, and go along and listen to the beautiful music, free of charge.

Rob Havard is a sixth generation farmer and professional ecologist working for Natural England as a lead adviser for conservation grazing. Rob uses Holistic planned grazing to manage his pedigree Angus suckler herd in the Worcestershire Countryside. Rob’s focus is on the marriage of productivity and ecological gain. In particular Rob has been working with farmers in his area to restore the native wildflower meadows and just as importantly to show how they can be more profitable than conventional intensive grassland. “I think there is a place for a wildflower meadow on every farm and I hope that one day we will see these diverse pastures at the heart of every family farming operation”.

Caroline is a holistic management consultant who combines her skills in regenerative agriculture and environmental conservation with a cocktail of experience in running diversified businesses while maintaining a balanced life. Her speciality is helping land-based businesses and organisations who want to move from a model of ‘conserving or sustaining’ to ‘regenerating and thriving.’ She has a passion for human health and ‘primal’ living and believes that what we choose to eat can powerfully influence animal health, wildlife protection and land management. Through the ‘Wildervore Approach’, she hopes to influence better farming and ecological restoration as well as build a movement of people seeking food grown from healthy ecosystems and a lifestyle that values healthy landscapes. Through her on-line meat business ‘Primal Meats’, she has developed a market for organic 100% grass fed meat as a nutritional aid for healing human health that by default improves the lives of farm animals and helps regenerate land.

Adrian is Head of Agriculture at Buccleuch with responsibility for operations and strategy of the 22,000 ha in-hand farms and supporting the estate’s tenanted holdings. Buccleuch operate in Southern Scotland and Northamptonshire, extending to 82,000 ha and represent one of the largest privately owned land holdings in the UK. His career began with Velcourt and following a MSc at the Royal Agricultural College he joined Andersons in farm business consultancy, later moving to the Barrington Park Estate in the Cotswolds.

Adrian completed the Institute of Agricultural Management leadership course in 2014 and previously sat on the Duchy Originals Future Farming Programme, 2012-2015. He is a former speaker at TED Global.

Helen Browning farms organically in Wiltshire. Helen is Chief Executive of the Soil Association and prior to that was Director of External Affairs at the National Trust. Helen is past Chair and still a member of the Food Ethics Council. She was awarded an OBE in 1998 for services to organic farming.

Minette runs a tenanted family farm in Wiltshire. The mixed farming business includes a 100 cow continental cross suckler herd, and a small herd of pedigree Herefords as well as sheep and arable. Diversification includes the conversion of a 17th Century tythe barn into a wedding and corporate events venue, and horse liveries. Minette co-founded the campaigning initiatives ‘Ladies in Beef’ and the ‘Great British Beef Week’.

She has been an NFU member from grassroots through to County Chairman; she served as Wiltshire’s Council delegate and also as Regional Board Chairman for the South West. Minette has also been a member of NFU Governance Board and served as NFU deputy president for four years from 2014 to 2018. Minette is also a Trustee of Farm Africa.

Darina Allen owns and runs the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, Co Cork. The school is situated on a 100-acre organically run farm and gardens.

Darina is a well-known cookbook author and television presenter. She writes weekly for the Irish Examiner and other occasional pieces and is President of the East Cork Slow Food Convivium.

Darina set up the first Farmers Market in Ireland on the Coal Quay in Cork in 1996, and has been instrumental in setting up several more including the very successful Midleton Farmers Market.

Darina is a trustee of the Irish Organic Centre, a patron of GIY Ireland, Member of Eurotoques (European Association of Chefs), Member of The Guild of Food Writers in Ireland and UK, Chair of the Food Safety Authority’s Artisan Food Forum and a member of the Taste Council of An Bord Bia.