Farmer advice available with Farming Connect

Cate is a farm business specialist and has worked for ADAS for nearly 30 years. She is a key contact for the Farming Connect Network and for Welsh Government farming policy.

Cate’s focus is on farm grant applications, business planning and financial consultancy. She primarily helps farmers with succession planning and finding a way forward for their business. This includes looking at diversification opportunities from farming and non-farming means, including marketing plans and grant applications.

Cate is also experienced with carbon auditing and farm biodiversity, helping farmers to enhance wildlife on their farms while still farming in a viable manner. She holds a BSc degree in agriculture, is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, is a Member of the Society of Agriculture and is a Nuffield Farming Scholar with her work on innovation in the milk sector.

Helen is a consultant in the ADAS Livestock team with 25 years’ experience in rural development and agriculture and a particular interest in livestock production systems. She is experienced in identifying emissions sources and carbon reduction/mitigation action planning on farms in the UK. She uses a range of carbon footprinting tools to help farmers with action planning in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Current carbon work includes supporting farms participating in the EU climate-smart farming programme.

Helen studied sustainable agricultural systems at the University of East Anglia as part of her BSc degree in rural development and has an MSc degree in crop protection from SRUC in Aberdeen. She is one of the first people to achieve the BASIS farm emissions and carbon management advice qualification in the UK. Helen holds a BASIS Certificate in Greenhouse Gases, Carbon and Climate Change Mitigation, as well as being certified by BASIS in soil and water management.

She is also a Welsh speaker.

Charles is a technical director within the Agriculture and Land Management team at ADAS. He has over 30 years’ experience in agricultural engineering and farm infrastructure, with a strong focus on slurry and manure storage, handling and application; silage clamp and grain storage design; farm infrastructure planning, including livestock housing, sprayer filling areas and constructed wetlands; reducing ammonia, nitrate and phosphate emissions from agricultural activities; compliance with environmental regulations and practical solutions for nutrient management; and manure handling systems and their implications for farm operation and associated ammonia, nitrate and phosphate management issues.

Charles has also contributed to industry guidance, including the CIRIA guide 759F on livestock manure and silage storage infrastructure. Outside ADAS, he currently runs a beef, grassland and woodland operation in Carmarthenshire.

Charles holds a BSc (Hons) degree in agriculture from Bangor University and a MSc degree in agricultural engineering from Cranfield University (Silsoe). He is a Member of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (MIAgrE), a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), holds a FACTS certificate (FE926) and is certified by BASIS in conservation and soil and water management.

Jason is ADAS Technical Director for Livestock, formerly a senior poultry consultant. He has extensive knowledge of poultry meat and egg production systems, with a particular emphasis on animal welfare, product quality and food safety, and biosecurity. Jason leads a team of livestock consultants who provide consultancy relating to eggs and meat for government departments and agencies, trade organisations, commercial producers and packers. His key areas of expertise include costs of production analysis, environmental impacts, legislation and training

Jason has led multiple research projects on the sustainability of livestock systems, the improvement of animal welfare and improving the profitability of farm businesses.

Eoin is an agri-environment adviser with over 15 years’ experience in agri-environmental regulations and compliance, pollution incidents and remediation projects.

Eoin specialises in providing advice and practical solutions to the agricultural sector in a variety of areas, including infrastructure, compliance with regulations, water quality and monitoring. His expertise predominately focuses on farm infrastructure design, such as slurry storage and silage clamps, pesticide storage and handling, rainwater harvesting and drainage.

Based in Wales, Eoin often provides technical advice about farm infrastructure, pollution prevention and soil assessments to farmers on behalf of Farming Connect, private landowners and water companies. He is certified by BASIS in soil and water management and holds a BSc (Hons) degree in geography and environmental management.

Stuart is an agricultural consultant based in North Wales. He comes from a dairy farming background and manages a small flock of sheep on Anglesey.

He holds a BSc degree in agriculture from Harper Adams University and is now part of the Farm Infrastructure team at ADAS, specialising in planning advice and design. His work involves conducting farm infrastructure assessments in line with current legislation, supporting farmers, utility companies and the public sector.

His expertise covers silage clamps, slurry and organic manure storage, yard drainage, livestock buildings, grain stores, sprayer filling areas and pesticide stores.
Stuart has a particular interest in farmyard design, focusing on cost-effective, business-oriented solutions. He is a Member of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE), and he is certified by FACTS and by BASIS in soil and water management.

David is a horticulture consultant with over 15 years’ experience in specialising in all aspects of ornamental crop production (protected and outdoor, container and field grown). He primarily supports large commercial nurseries’ crop production but has in-depth knowledge of the wider ornamentals industry and its key drivers. His research interests include weed control, pesticide application, plant growth regulators, biopesticides and pest control.

David holds a BSc (Hons) degree in commercial horticulture, is a BASIS member and is FACTS qualified.

Gillian Preece is a Senior Agricultural Consultant based in Shropshire with 25 years of consultancy experience supporting livestock and farming businesses.

Specialising in nutrient management, Gillian provides strategic farm business, environmental and technical advice, helping farmers improve performance, manage risk and access schemes such as Countryside Stewardship and the Sustainable Farming Incentive. She has extensive experience delivering nutrient management planning, catchment-sensitive farming advice and environmental protection projects.

Alongside her consultancy work, Gillian farms with her husband, managing a sheep and beef enterprise. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Animal Science and is FACTS and BASIS Soil & Water qualified.

Tony Lathwood is a Senior Agricultural, Environment and Land Management Consultant based in Aberystwyth with more than 40 years of experience advising Welsh farming businesses. Specialising in agricultural pollution regulations, nutrient management, soil and water management, grassland systems and farm infrastructure, Tony provides practical advice on regulatory compliance, including SSAFO and The Water Resources (Control of Agricultural Pollution) (Wales) Regulations 2021.

He is ADAS’s lead adviser on agricultural pollution regulations in Wales, delivering training for Farming Connect and supporting the Welsh Government helpline. Tony combines extensive technical expertise with a strong ability to help farmers, policymakers and researchers achieve sustainable and practical solutions. He holds an HNC in Applied Biology and is BASIS FACTS and BASIS Soil & Water qualified.

Daniel is a livestock consultant with ADAS’s Livestock team, part of ADAS Agriculture and Land Management. He has been involved in the poultry industry since 2016.

Daniel holds a PhD in the communication of disease among broiler chickens from Swansea University, as well as MSc and BSc degrees. Previously, he worked in a primary research capacity for Cargill Meats Europe and later for Avara Foods Ltd.

Daniel is based at the ADAS Rosemaund office, Preston Wynne, Hereford.

Karen Wheeler is a Senior Research Manager based at ADAS Rosemaund, Herefordshire. Since joining ADAS in 1990, she has developed extensive expertise in agricultural research, specialising in ruminant livestock and grassland systems.

Karen has managed government, levy body and corporate-funded projects covering livestock production, animal welfare, nutrition, sustainability and farm performance. Her expertise includes research and evidence reviews, data analysis, stakeholder engagement, project management, carbon audits and livestock training.

Recent projects include research on farming at higher water tables on peat, reviews of native livestock and calf mortality, the “For Flocks Sake” sheep scab programme, and carbon audits for AHDB Monitor Farms.