Meet the NFU Organic Forum

22 September 2023

An tractor pulling a trailer past a farm steading

The NFU Organic Forum meets quarterly to discuss environmental issues that affect farming.

The NFU Organic Forum seeks to build a resilient, sustainable and thriving organic sector, through representing NFU organic farmer members views both externally and internally.

The forum meets regularly to discuss and review policy related to organics and provides recommendations to the relevant teams within the NFU.

Andrew Burgess

NFU Organics Forum chair

Andrew is director and owner of Burgess Farms and founder of RBOrganic, born and raised in vegetable farming, a strategic agronomist by profession. He went to Shuttleworth Agricultural College and has since done a variety of roles in fresh produce.

He is enthusiastic about environmental farming, especially organic.

Andrew is currently a trustee of the Soil Association and has served full terms on the NFU Horticulture Board, LEAF board, AHDB and British Carrot Growers.

He has just retired from playing rugby for Peterborough, and is now the club president. He still skies and climbs mountains, and loves all outdoor pursuits.

Mark Wycherley

NFU Organics Forum vice chair

Mark's family has farmed in Shropshire for six generations.

He has been organic since 1997, farming light land. They are currently running 60 cross reds on a robot with all milk for OMSCO's antibiotic-free premium pool. In the past he has grown potatoes, carrots and onions.

Mark has enjoyed the past 23 years as he likes the feeling of working with nature not trying to beat it.

Adam Westaway

NFU Organics Forum member and NFU Dairy Board co-optee, South West

Adam is a third generation farmer dairy farmer from Devon who has been farming organically for over 20 years. The business farms 370 acres of heavy clay with 170 Friesian cows on a grazing based system milking with robots.

The milk is produced using no antibiotics for OMSCo’s US premium pool for export as milk fat, powder or cheeses.

Adam has recently been co-opted onto the National dairy board, has been the local NFU group chair as well as having been on the South West dairy board.

Adam has (recently) been a board member of OMSCO as well as a chairman of the membership committee and the Devon membership rep.

Nick Adams

NFU Organics Forum member, East Midlands

Nick Adams is a beef and sheep farmer near Brailsford in Derbyshire. His farm includes an Angus herd and a flock of Polled Dorset ewes.

Haydn Evans

NFU Organics Forum member, Wales

Haydn farms with his wife and son in Pembrokeshire. They run a herd of some 100 milking cows consisting of traditional breeds, principally British Friesian, Ayrshire and Dairy Shorthorn. Milk is supplied to the local dairy (Rachel's) in Aberystwyth.

In addition to representing NFU Cymru on the Organic Forum he also chairs the Soil Association Farmers and Growers board, and is a farmer member of the Agricultural Land Tribunal in Wales.

John Alpe

NFU Organics Forum member and NFU North West Dairy Board member

John is an organic farmer from Lancashire who runs a small dairy herd of 45 milking cows alongside young dairy stock, beef cattle and a flock of 1000 breeding sheep.

Actively involved with LEAF, John hosts educational access visits for people with special needs and liaises with schools to deliver a presentation on food production with a focus on educating inner city areas.

John is part of the NFU’s Organic Forum and sits on the NFU North West dairy board. He also sits on the OMSCo board.

John strongly believes in succession and creating opportunities for young people to allow them to get into the dairy industry.

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