ChewintheCud Season 2: Episode 02 - Succession Planning

Your hosts Andrew Jones & Neil Greggor, based in the South West of England, are this time joined by Farmer's Weekly Dairy Farmer of the Year 2022 Catherine Pickford and her herd manager Nathan Crocker.

Both have their own journeys to where they are now but Catherine's starts with her returning home in 1995 with 70 Black & Whites calving AYR to today with 400 spring calving cows and tells us about all the changes the business has seen in the last 28 years, including moving farms five years ago to a farm that had very very limited dairying infrastructure before the move and the work that has gone into converting the farm in this time.

We then discuss Nathan's journey from to school to agricultural college to working for Catherine fulltime, to where he is now trying to build his own equity in the business.

During our discussion we talk about them being winners of the Farmer's Weekly Dairy Farmer of the Year 2022 and how it was all a blur but then we talk about the succession plan that they have in place for Nathan so than with Catherine planning to retire in five years time he will be in a position to either succeed the current tenancy, or look for a farm of his own.

We also discuss the different markers they have in the business and also the benefit of being part of a local discussion group has brought benefits to them personally as well as the business.

This was recorded in May 2023 and all information was correct at the time of recording.

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