HGCA : In your area

In your area
Each Regional Manager covers one of five HGCA regions and is based at an existing AHDB office. One of the aims of the regional team is to raise and maintain awareness of HGCA in the regions, both with partner organisations but, importantly, with growers themselves. The team is helping HGCA become more regionally focused, better understanding regional needs and targeting information more precisely to the sector.

Gavin Dick, Scotland Manager
[email protected]
Gavin has considerable agricultural experience, having been brought up on a family farm before working in the industry at various locations throughout Scotland. His experience includes managing an arable farm in Angus, a mixed dairy farm for ice cream maker Mackie’s in Aberdeenshire, and a farming estate in Perthshire. Gavin joined HGCA from SAC Consulting, and is based at AHDB’s offices near Edinburgh.

North

Harry Henderson, Regional Manager North [email protected]
Based at Ashkam Bryan near York, Harry grew up on a beef farm in his native north Wales. Subsequently, Harry developed an interest in farm machinery that took him around the world working in agriculture. Having managed a plant breeding farm near Cambridge for Monsanto, in 2005 Harry joined John Deere as Crop Systems Specialist, from where he was recruited by HGCA.

South

Philip Dolbear , Regional Manager South
[email protected]
Taunton-based Philip joined HGCA from HSBC Agriculture, where he was Senior Agriculture Manager in the South West region. Having studied agriculture at university, Philip spent seven years as a Senior Business Management Consultant with ADAS before developing his career with HSBC. He brings substantial business management experience to the Regional Team, and a detailed understanding of the complexities of the industry in the region.

East

Tim Isaac , Regional Manager East
[email protected]
Tim joined HGCA with more than 20 years of farm business experience in the East of England. Based at Huntingdon, Tim previously worked at the CLA, where he was Regional Adviser for the East of England. Trained in agricultural business management, Tim has also worked as a farm business consultant, specialising in the direct management of farms and contracting arrangements.

West

Richard Laverick, (Head of Regional Development)
[email protected]
Based at HGCA’s Stoneleigh Park offices, Richard joined HGCA from ADAS, where he established and led regional teams delivering agricultural research and consultancy services. A biological scientist by training, Richard has substantial agricultural experience including BASIS training and has managed HGCA funded projects delivered by ADAS. He is HGCA’s Head of Regional Development and leads the Regional Team as well as covering HGCA’s West region, which includes Wales and Northern Ireland.

Monitor farms

Monitor Farms are normal commercial farms where the farmer is prepared to allow other farmers access to the farm – and to the decision-making process.

Arable Business Groups

An Arable Business Group is a group of growers that want to:

– Improve business management skills
– Understand costs of production
– Investigate pricing strategies
– Share information
– Focus on relevant issues affecting their business
– Make efficient use of industry experts

Focus Monitor Farm

This month’s focus Montor Farm is: Stowmarket.

Brian and his cousin Patrick run E.J. Barker & Sons, a family farm partnership and contracting business in Suffolk dating back to 1957. The 667ha arable farm business is farmed on 12 – and nine-year rotations, incorporating winter wheat for feed, spring barley, herbage grass seed, oilseed rape and a break crop of beans, linseed or peas. Environmental consideration is crucial to the running of the business, and remains a key factor in all decision-making on farm.

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