The NFU North Crops Board is chaired by Rob Conner (York East), with North Riding and Durham County Adviser Laurie Norris and Lancashire County Adviser Aarun Naik as secretaries.
Upcoming meetings:
Thursday 21 May - Crops Board with guest speaker National Crops Chair Jamie Burrows (Middlethorpe Hall, York)
Thursday 25 June - AHDB and NFU North West crops summer event (Ormskirk, Lancashire)
Tuesday 21 July (Venue TBC)
Thursday 10 September (Venue TBC)
Thursday 12 November (Venue TBC)
All members are welcome to attend board meetings. If you would like to attend, or to find out more about the work of the board, contact Laurie, or get in touch with the NFU North regional office on 02476 939401 or [email protected]
Board members:
Rob Conner
Regional Crops Board Chair, North
Rob is the North Crops Board Chair for 2026-2028.
Ed Houghton (Cheshire)
Will Blackburn (Cheshire)
Olly Harrison (Lancashire)
Antony Ollerton (Lancashire)
Jonny Bainbridge (Cumbria)
James Wardle (Northumberland)
Neil Armstrong (Northumberland)
Andrew Dale (North Riding and Durham)
Matthew Nichols (North Riding and Durham)
Ian Backhouse (Yorkshire West Riding)
Philip Stead (Yorkshire West Riding)
James Mills (York East)
Board secretaries:
Laurie Norris
North Riding & Durham county adviser
This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
She also actively supports NFU group secretaries to drive NFU membership and works closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards.
Laurie is also the regional lead for combinable crops and joint lead for dairy with Helen Wainwright.
Laurie joined the NFU in 1999 and, as a longstanding member of the team, has held a number of roles including regional policy adviser and environment adviser.
She lives near Thirsk with her husband and son.
Aarun Naik
Lancashire County Adviser
This includes managing the NFU’s lobbying activities with MPs and a range of external organisations from local authorities, the police and government agencies to non-governmental organisations and relevant commercial bodies.
He also actively supports NFU group secretaries in Lancaster, Clitheroe, Bury, Preston, Blackburn, Chorley and Skelmersdale to drive NFU membership. Aarun works closely with elected farmer representatives including county officeholders and members of regional and national commodity boards.
Aarun is also the joint regional lead for horticulture and potatoes with Jennifer Costello.
A former Cheshire county adviser, Aarun returned to the NFU as Lancashire county adviser in June 2024.