OUR PEOPLE
ROB HAVARD
Rob is a sixth generation farmer, professional ecologist, and worked for Natural England as a conservation grazing lead advisor.
He has been using Holistic Management to inform his farming practice since completing Kirk Gadzia's Advanced Holistic Management course with ReGenAg UK in October 2014 and as a result now integrates planned grazing on the 1000+ acres of diverse pasture he grazes with his herds.
Rob's main focus is on the marriage of productivity and ecological gain. As a hands on farmer he speaks from experience, providing practical insight to making ecological enhancing productivity happen. Using the grazing techniques that are based on recreating natural processes allows Rob to grow fitter cattle for less money while leaving the land in a better state than when he found it.
Rob is currently undertaking a Nuffield scholarship studying the ‘Evaluation of beef cattle selection methods for profitability in grass-fed production systems’. More information on Rob's study can be found here.
SARAH DUSGATE
Sarah joined the business in March 2020 at the time Phepson took on the management of the Red Poll herd at Kemerton Estate.
Not from a farming family, but growing up in a rural Welsh community, Sarah developed an interest in agriculture from a young age.
Sarah graduated from the University of Liverpool with a degree in Bioveterinary Science in 2016 and soon after joined the livestock department of a knowledge exchange organisation, working on 2 main work streams; 'Responsible Antibiotic Use', and 'The Role of Sensors in Dairy Farming'. The position involved visiting and collating best practice on these topics across UK and European farms, followed by the creation and dissemination of resources through farmer workshops and media platforms.
In 2018 Sarah set up her own business Brightstock, producing media content for various agriculture companies, whilst continuing to be involved with dairy cattle research projects. Setting up her own business enabled Sarah to allocate time to working on farms to gain more hands on practical experience and skills.