Rob is a Senior Policy Adviser in the Environmental Land Management Advice team. The team is responsible for developing policy for the delivery of advice for the Sustainable Farming Incentive, Local Nature Recovery and Landscape Recovery schemes.
Rob grew up on his family dairy farm in Cheshire. He has worked within Defra group since 2002, firstly as an inspector for the Rural Payments Agency, and then in adviser and leadership roles in Natural England. He moved into the Environmental Land Management team in 2018, and uses his background in agriculture and delivery experience to inform policy design.
Farm visits help us to better understand how farmers work and what’s important to them. In this post, I'd like to share what I learned during my visit to Hampden Bottom Farm in Buckinghamshire.
From 6 April 2026, full inheritance tax relief will apply to the first £2.5 million of qualifying agricultural and business assets, with lower relief applying to any value above this. Learn more
28 January Yorkshire Farming Conference at the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate.
28 January register to attend Defra’s Farming Roadmap 2050 event at Sparsholt College, Hampshire.
4 February YAMS (Yorkshire Agricultural Machinery Show) at York Auction Centre, York.
4 February Dairy Tech at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire.
The Farming Advice Service (FAS) provides free, confidential advice to farmers and advisers.
Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) helps farmers in England protect water, air and soil. CSF advisers can provide advice on best practices and specific actions that will benefit your farm business and the environment.
We’ve compiled a list of organisations offering wellbeing support to those in the farming community.
