Jimmy owns a contract dairy farming business which was established in 2014. Based in Leicestershire, he manages a 100ha all grass farm and an expanding 280 cow block calving herd which produces quality milk for a local Stilton cheese maker.
The main focuses are maximising the use of grazed grass and achieving business objectives through sharing knowledge and participating in discussion groups. Some of Jimmy’s farming experiences are shared on Twitter page @jwpfarming.
Jimmy studied agriculture at Harper Adams and graduated in 2006. He has always had a passion for dairying. Experience and knowledge has been gained through previous positions such as managing and driving improvements on a high yielding herd and driving system changes as partner in a mixed family farming business.
He is currently on the NFU East Midlands dairy board and highly values spending quality time away from his farming business. He also enjoys keeping fit, surfing, walking, being a novice at clay pigeon shooting and travelling.
North East - John Throup
John and his cousin manage a herd of 280 cows on the family’s mixed farming estate in the Vale of York. After completing a National Diploma in agriculture at Askham Bryan College, John became a business partner in the family farm in 2008. Since then he has gone on to modernise all aspects of housing and grazing infrastructure.
His future aspirations are to introduce a cross breeding programme and to move to a split block calving herd to make better use of grazed grass.
John is a member of the Arla Next Generation Group and the LIC Grazing Group and is always keen to learn new skills and develop the business to its fullest. Outside of farming John enjoys off-piste skiing, carpentry and catching up with friends.
West Midlands - Tom Hill
Tom farms in partnership with his parents in Staffordshire. Together they manage the Hydaways herd of 150 pedigree Holsteins and their followers. The farm extends to 300 acres and utilising home grown feeds is a key aspect of farm management. Wheat, Barley and Maize are grown alongside short term grass leys and are all used to feed the cattle.
He joined the business after graduating from Harper Adams in 2010. In 2014, Tom won the Holstein UK HYB President’s Medal Award. Away from the farm he enjoys watching and playing sports especially football and socializing with friends.
Tom applied to the Dairy Development Group in the hope that he could broaden his knowledge of the milk supply chain in order to understand it better and try to use that knowledge to improve his business.
North West - Edwards Towers
Edward has been farm manager at Brades Farm near Lancaster, where he works alongside his parents and elder brother. Until recently the farm only sold milk branded ‘Lune Valley Dairy Farm’ to local businesses such as shops, restaurants and milkmen, from their herd of 300 Holstein Friesian cows.
In 2016 they began to market ‘The Estate Dairy’ to the bespoke coffee market predominately in London with a mixture of Holstein Friesian milk and milk from an additional 100 Jersey cows.
Edward returned to the family farm full time in 2015 after attending Harper Adams where he studied Agriculture with Animal Science. Edward is a keen follower of England rugby and his local team Kirkby Lonsdale who he played for until recently.
He was attracted to the NFU Dairy Development Group in order to gain another perspective of the dairy industry especially industry organisation and how policy is made and lobbied for.
North West - William Patten
William’s family have been farming at Baddington Farm since 1948. Since that time it has undergone many changes, but it wasn’t until five years ago that the family began their current venture, milking pedigree Jerseys. William returned home after getting his English literature degree in 2011 and his plans took a different turn to what he had anticipated. Due to William’s fathers ill health, he took over the management of the farm with his mother.
Over the past five years William has changed the herd from a flying herd of black and whites to a pedigree Jersey herd. It has been a difficult few years, but through it William has discovered his passion for the breed, dairy farming and the future of our industry.
William wanted to be part of the Dairy Development Group not only to meet likeminded people but to also gain an insight into our industry as a whole, beyond the farmyard.
South East - Chris Appleton
Chris returned in 2015 as the fourth generation to the 400 cow family dairy unit in East Sussex following several years away. Chris studied agriculture at Reading University, as well as working on a number of different farms and completing a year in New Zealand.
He now manages all aspects of cattle nutrition on farm and is taking an ever increasing role in overall farm management. His key areas of interest on farm are improving the herd’s milk from forage, whilst also striving to achieve a herd average exceeding 10,000 litres/cow.
Outside of the farm, Chris is actively involved in the local young farmers club, as well as playing hockey regularly at Lewes. He is a member of the International Farmlink Committee at the South of England Agricultural Society and is a regular member of the local Moovers and Shakers dairy group.
South West - David Ractliffe
David helps to run the family mixed dairy and beef farm in Gloucestershire of around 300 stock. He graduated from the University of Reading in 2013 after studying Agricultural Business Management. David is a member of the local dairy discussion group which has focussed the farm on getting the most from grass in recent years, which has helped with the difficult period the dairy industry has been facing. The dairy enterprise supplies Wyke Farms based in Somerset.
Earlier this year, David was chairman of the local young farmers club (YFC) and managed to coordinate a promise auction fundraiser which raised over £6500. Considerable donations then followed to a selection of local charities. He is also keen at competing in YFC competitions including stock judging and farm valuation. David also enjoys shooting and skiing, if he gets the chance.
Having always been very interested in the supply chain, this programme seemed like an excellent opportunity to further his understanding of not just the farming sector but the processors and manufacturers equally.
North West - Neil Quinlan
36 year old Neil works in partnership with his wife on a 90 acre farm near Chester in Cheshire. Having spent the past five years working on a neighbouring dairy farm, Neil now rears dairy heifers on a contract farming basis. Neil returned to agriculture after an extended spell working in the construction industry and hasn't looked back!
The programme caught Neil’s eye as he feels there is much more to the dairy industry than just milking cows, and is keen to learn more about an industry he feels passionate about.
Away from the farm, Neil races an enduro motorbike. He also enjoys running and of course spending time with his wife and two year old son.
North West - Victoria Eardley
Victoria has been an employee at the Macclesfield NFU for four and a half years. Victoria lives and help out on her family dairy farm in Cheshire and also has her own small flock of sheep.
Her interests include being an active member of Macclesfield Young Farmers and a competitive horse rider.
Farming and the dairy industry is something that Victoria has a passion for. She hopes the programme will educate her; by listening to others and talking to people about a subject she feels strongly about. Victoria anticipates she will then be able to feed back her knowledge to farmers and at the family farm, in hope that the dairy industry continues to thrive.
South West - William Streatfeild
William is from a family farming partnership that farms 1,100 cows over 2,000 acres in South Dorset with one other family. At the moment he currently works for the University of Bristol as Herd Manager, where they farm 220 cows on 200 acres.
Since graduating from Reading University in 2012 he has worked in Norfolk and Dorset milking on range of different dairy systems.
Before graduating William took opportunities to travel, spending five months on a sailing yacht in the South Pacific and also living and working in Taupo, New Zealand for a year where he milked 1400 kiwi cross cows.
William is hoping that becoming part of the NFU Dairy Development Group will educate him on how the wider stakeholders of the industry work. When not milking cows William enjoys playing his guitars and taking part in the family shoot at home.