Agriview Spring 2018

Spring/Summer 2018 Rural update from Fisher German

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Welcome

3 Rural Business Awards 4

Heart of the Shires

6 Farmland market 9 Farm Fresh Revolution 10 Model farm 13 Purdey Awards

Golden opportunities Maximising the use of your assets

13 Rural estate review 14 Fresh Start Inside this issue:

Welcome

As I write this welcome piece to Agri View, DEFRA have just published their consultation paper “Health and harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit “which will influence the new Agriculture Bill. This consultation paper offers those of us within the sector an opportunity to engage and get our voices heard on the shaping of the sector for the next 25 years. I hope you, like us, have taken the opportunity to get involved in this process to ensure that there is recognition of the importance of food production and food security, and trade negotiations do not leave UK farmers disadvantaged.

With the reduction of agricultural direct support after 2019 now confirmed by the Government, in this edition of Agri View we have an update on the model farm, where benchmarking has been used to evaluate how well-equipped Tiger Farm is to withstand reduction of support payments and price volatility. There

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is now focus on the holding to build resilience within systems to adapt, and key areas for improvement have been identified.

We have an inspiring feature on a food project set up by Rob and Sally Mercer in Staffordshire, aiming to change eating and shopping habits to get people eating more healthy food and Richard Gadd provides an update on the land market, where rollover and lifestyle buyers continue to drive farmland values across the county.

In addition, at Fisher German, we are making plans to ensure we are compliant with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which means we need your ‘specific and informed’ consent to contact you. If you find Agri View of interest and wish to continue to receive it, along with other communications from us, please do keep in touch by visiting fishergerman.co.uk/contact-us-keep-in-touch, to confirm your details.

David Merton 07770 333331 david.merton@fishergerman.co.uk

Entries are open – Rural Business Awards 2018 With 13 categories ranging from Outstanding Rural Diversification Project to Best Rural Education or Training Business, the Rural Business Awards are a celebration of the achievements of all that rural businesses have to offer.

Fisher German are proud to be national sponsor of the Rural Business Award for Outstanding Rural Diversification Project. We are pleased to be able to share a discount code for 25% off the entry fee to Fisher German clients entering the awards. The code FG18025 should be entered on the payment page when submitting an entry.

To enter choose your category from the list opposite and visit www.ruralbusinessawards.co.uk/enter to register.

The closing date for entries is 31st May 2018.

1 Best Rural Start-up 2 Outstanding Rural Diversification Project 3 Best Rural Retail Business 4 Best Rural Manufacturing Business 5 Best Rural Professional Services Business 6 Best Rural Creative or Media Based Business 7 Rural Social Enterprise or Community Project of the Year 8 Best Rural Tourism Business 9 Best Rural Recreational or Outdoor Pursuits Business 10 Best Rural Education or Training Business 11 Best Rural Food Business 12 Best Rural Drink Business 13 Rural Employee of the Year

‌ the Rural Business Awards are a celebration of the achievements of all that rural businesses have to offer.

Anna Collins 07468 860079 anna.collins@fishergerman.co.uk

Anna Price and Jemma Clifford, founders of the RBAs

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When Fisher German was invited to assist in the management of a boutique shopping village in Nothamptonshire, it led to the successful development and sale of the site.

As Fisher German provides a range of specialist services, we could advise on all elements of the process, from the initial redevelopment and management of the site to its eventual sale.

Heart of the Shires Shopping Village is a converted Victorian farmyard which offers a high-quality shopping experience, with around 20,000 sq ft of retail space.

Fisher German was originally appointed in 2014 to undertake a management review of the site. A full appraisal of the property, carried out by Anna Collins, made clear that it was in need of development and a full re-brand.

A strategic plan was agreed before associate director Sam Skinner was appointed to implement the recommendations of the report and manage the site in 2015.

Through the provision of strategic advice to owners of the shopping village, the Mackaness family, Sam assisted in managing a £150,000 improvement plan to help transform it into a more profitable business.

Sam says: “Heart of the Shires is an out of town shopping village which provides a premium offering for customers.

We were invited to assist in the management of the site and provide strategic advice on increasing the rent roll.

“A full rebrand was undertaken, moving away from traditional print advertising and focusing on the website and social media.

“The main buildings were also given a fresh new look, with standardised outdoor painting while the electrics were also upgraded and the car park was resurfaced.

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“The focus was to drive up quality and reflect that in the tenants. We spent a lot of time cultivating good relationships, ensuring that long-standing tenants remained at the shopping village and the vacant units were filled.

“We also looked at moving away from short term leases in favour of long term agreements, and Fisher German acted as intermediator between landlord and tenant when standardising service charges across all tenants.”

The rent roll following the improvement work was in excess of £200,000 per annum, and Fisher German was then instructed to offer the site to a select group of people in a discrete offmarket approach. The shopping village was sold as a going concern, with the deal being completed in just 37 working days.

Sam adds: “We were able to package the shopping village very attractively, with a lot of long-term tenants already in place, which led to an extremely quick sale to a local family.

“We worked with Withers who completed the legal work, and we were extremely pleased with the end result.

“As Fisher German provides a range of specialist services, we could advise on all elements of the process, from the initial redevelopment and management of the site to its eventual sale. We had a very close relationship with the Mackaness family and thoroughly enjoyed our time working with them.”

Heart of the Shires

Sam Mackaness says: “Fisher German is an extremely good company, and Sam did an excellent job. I have been in business a long time and we spoke the same language.

“He is a very practical and level-headed person and provided us with a lot of strategic advice over the years. He also helped us achieve a very quick sale which we were very happy with.”

Sam Skinner 07810 378188 sam.skinner@fishergerman.co.uk

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Farmland market

Rollover and lifestyle buyers continue to drive farmland values across the country.

We have seen, in the first quarter of 2018, a sharp rise in interest from those farmers and landowners with windfall gains from development, looking to rollover funds close to home.

‌landowners are weighing up the cost benefit, especially where travelling distance increases labour, fuel and overall operating costs beyond reasonable margins.

With a continued lack of supply to the open market, many rollover buyers are struggling to place these cash funds locally, forcing consideration of opportunities further afield to secure the tax relief.

Lifestyle buyers are showing increased interest in the farmland market again. As values in some areas have softened we have seen buyers looking more favourably towards land and properties with amenity, sporting and conservation interests. Inevitably these buyers are less reliant on the agricultural element to support a business or provide a healthy income, being more concerned with the residential element, which will generally equate to 50% of the overall property value or more.

Whilst the ability to rollover these windfall gains is welcomed, buyers must weigh up the cost benefit, especially where travelling distance increases labour, fuel and overall operating costs beyond reasonable margins.

Other buyers with rollover funds are considering contract farming and other similar arrangements where practical.

Institutional interest in farmland remains static accounting for about 10% of purchases, according to our research.

Such interest has been, and will continue to be, directed towards more strategic and well diversified holdings where the risk of commodity price fluctuations can be mitigated against additional income streams and future hope value.

Where local opportunities do arise, with competing rollover buyers, values remain buoyant and in most cases, continue to strengthen. We expect ‘rollover’ buyers to account for a significantly higher proportion of the buying market this year and into the foreseeable future.

Debt and retirement related sales are expected to increase this year. Interest rate rises, increased borrowing costs and a likely future fall in farming subsidies have pushed some businesses into more difficult times. Some in this situation are considering sales in part to reduce finance costs, whilst others are looking to exit the industry or downsize and diversify.

Farmers remain the dominant buyer type accounting for about 50% of purchasers according to our research. We expect a fall in interest from the in-hand farming buyer over the next few years as incomes remain under pressure, sterling strengthens against the euro, and as further clarity is sought over future domestic support for the agricultural industry. Quality and location remain key factors in the marketplace for commercial scale arable land holdings.

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Many larger scale arable enterprises are considering their future position in regard to support and long-term income projections. We have advised several such parties, with some resulting in restructuring the farming business, others deciding to exit where appropriate and some continuing to farm through joint venture or contract

farming arrangements to reduce working capital and improve efficiencies.

Retirement has been at the centre of many farm sale discussions over the last 12 months. Those farming without any successors or where there is a break in farming partnership between family members are often taking the opportunity to wind up the farming business and securing entrepreneurs relief on sale.

We have also seen, in the last six to twelve months interest from farmers close to major developments offering land privately where a substantial premium may be achieved from those with windfall gains. We have handled various off-market deals where farming businesses have benefited from sales of part or entire farms to some aggressive buyers with rollover funds.

Location and quality remain key factors in determining land values across most regions with the emergence of a real postcode lottery.

The market continues to grow rather tired of Brexit, suggestions and talk around this subject. Until such time as we have absolute clarity on future domestic support and how this will be delivered, we can only advise our clients to take a realistic view on future land values, with an expectation that values will soften generally over the coming years.

Location and quality remain key factors in determining land values

Richard Gadd 07966 481487 richard.gadd@fishergerman.co.uk

Our predictions...

• Increasing off-market activity.

• More cash entering the market from development land sales looking for rollover opportunities.

• Buyers will become increasingly cautious over quality and longer-term security with ongoing uncertainty dampening demand.

• Increasing demand for lifestyle and sporting led properties.

• Further constriction on average values across the country.

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In the UK there are 8 million people who struggle to put food on the table and 3 million children are at risk of going hungry.

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Farm Fresh Revolution In January 2017, farmer Rob Mercer of Packington Pork and his wife Sally set up a food project “Farm Fresh Revolution”.

The project’s aim is to encourage people to eat more fresh food and less processed food, improving the quality of people’s diets and health.

Rob was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship in 2015 studying food poverty and what part farmers in the UK can do to contribute towards alleviating food poverty issues.

Food poverty covers two main areas. Firstly people going hungry. In the UK there are 8 million people who struggle to put food on the table and 3 million children are at risk of going hungry each summer holiday.

Secondly food poverty covers the ability for individuals or households to obtain healthy nutritious food. This can be affected by availability and cost of healthy food. Often lowincome households don’t live near discounter stores and rely on local stores for food. Choice is limited and prices are at a premium. The cost of fresh healthy food has also been on the increase especially when compared to cheap processed food.

Poor diets are having a huge impact on the health of our country. 62% of adults are overweight and 24% are obese. This also has a huge economic toll on the NHS and it is estimated that there is a £27 billion cost to the wider economy. Sadly people from low income families are more likely to die younger due to poor quality diets.

Rob says “I appreciate that many farmers do not view public health as an issue for them to deal with, and that many are busy running their day to day business with all the challenges that farming presents. However, I do think that the public are ultimately the customers of the food we produce; the more we can encourage them to eat healthy nutritious fresh food, the better for everyone.”

Farm Fresh Revolution works by distributing free fresh healthy food to around 250 families per week at Staffordshire primary schools.

Schools make an ideal hub as they are at the centre of communities and enable the project

to benefit families with young children. They deliver to 8 schools, each school once a fortnight, 4 one week and 4 the next. Stalls are set up on a Friday at school pick-up time and parents pick up fresh food including sausages, chicken legs, eggs, apples, oranges, bananas, potatoes, carrots, onions and green veg.

Cooking and recipe suggestions are given at every delivery and Sally runs taster sessions in schools, linking in with their Healthy Living curriculum wherever possible. In a recent survey 85% of parents who responded had cooked new meals from the recipes.

Free food is not the main purpose. We feel that education alone will not deliver habitual change. From our survey, 76% of respondents said it had changed their shopping habits and 84% said that it had made them think more about where their food comes from.

“Our school communities value having direct contact with a farmer and regularly give feedback. It is an important part of people valuing their food more, knowing the person who has produced it, and can influence people to choose food more wisely” says Sally.

Farm Fresh Revolution is costly, and volunteers have been essential. They are applying for charitable status which they hope will help with fundraising from local businesses.

This isn’t everyone’s bag and I understand that everyone has their own commitments, but if you are interested just talk to your local school and give it a go… Education around food, where food comes from, and ultimately the experience of being able to taste it has a positive effect.

Rob sees other farmers being able to connect with their local schools more simply than this scheme. “This isn’t everyone’s bag and I understand that everyone has their own commitments, but if you are interested just talk to your local school and give it a go.

Simply going into your local school once a year with your produce will teach parents, children and teachers about your farm and what you do whilst giving them an opportunity to try your produce for free. Education around food, where food comes from, and ultimately the experience of being able to taste it has a positive effect. Ultimately, we are simply trying to influence the next generation and encourage more people to eat healthy nutritious food, something our nation is in dire need of.”

To read the full scholarship paper go to www.nuffieldinternational.org/live/Reports

“We started off charging a discounted price for the food but settled on giving the food for free (although encouraging donations) as some parents didn’t have enough money to pick up food deliveries every time. These were exactly the parents who we did not want to miss out on the fresh food” commented Rob. They deliver to Staffordshire’s primary schools with the highest percentages of low income families, so avoid stigma of some people getting food for free and some not without means testing.

The purpose of the project is using free food as a vehicle to change eating and shopping habits and get people eating more healthy food.

Rob and Sally are available to speak to, please contact 01283 713901. For more information, to get involved, donate or volunteer for the scheme go to www.farmfreshrevolution.com

farmfreshrevolution @FarmFreshRev info@farmfreshrevolution.com

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Model farm

TIGER FARM is a virtual mixed farm based in Leicestershire.

240HA Owned 128HA Agricultural Holdings Act Tenancy 40HA Five-year Farm Business Tenancy 111HA Contract Farming Agreement

Tiger Farm is a virtual farm that has been created by the Fisher German agri-business team to model the different business dynamics and scenarios that are often faced by real farms With the removal of subsidy now a real prospect there must be a focus on building resilience within systems to withstand this loss of income.

Business resilience for Brexit In the short term the only certainty for UK farmers is uncertainty over the potential impact of Brexit. The consultation paper published by DEFRA on 27th February gives further indication that the Basic Payment in its current form will go, a combination of capping and reduction in area payments will create a fund to be paid to farmers for “public goods.”

Like many farming businesses Tiger Farm is Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

reviewing how equipped it is to withstand the removal of support payments and price volatility arising from unfavourable trade deals.

Whilst there will always be variation between businesses due to individual circumstances, benchmarking is a useful tool to judge the performance of your operation against industry leaders. There is a gulf in performance between the top 25% performing UK farms and the

average, using a selection of key benchmarks can help a business identify areas in which they might improve.

Fisher German have identified a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) shown below, strictly speaking the targets below apply to an arable enterprise but can be applicable to a mixed farm scenario.

Target

Tiger Farm

Score

Power & machinery costs as % of output

15%

£127,991 / £640,253

20%

Service charges as % of output

10%

£62,356 / £640,253

9.7%

Total fixed costs as % of output

41%

£276,240 / £640,253

43%

Labour (paid & unpaid) as % of output

8%

£82,151 / £640,253

13%

Profit as % of output

20%

£147,712 / £640,253

23%

Variable costs as % of output

39%

£223,501 / £640,253

35%

Horsepower per hectare

1 h.p.

1365 h.p. / 503 ha

2.7

80 litres

47,300 litres / 503 ha

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Machinery depreciation per hectare

£120

£89,696 / 503 ha

£178

Subsidy ratio (BPS % of Profit)

50%

£88,763 / £147,712

60%

Fuel use per hectare

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OWNED BY THE FOX FAMILY, the parents and eldest son work on the farm along with a full-time farm worker. There are two other children not currently involved with the farm. The farm uses seasonal labour as required.

A farmhouse, cottage and buildings are located on the Agricultural Holdings Act Tenancy.

Current enterprises comprise combinable arable crops and a flock of mule lambs, finished extensively.

Farm update The cold snap at the tail end of winter meant that crops have been much slower to grow away than in the previous year, as they try to make up for lost time, the focus shifts to the appropriate, and cost effective use of inputs.

As shown in the analysis of KPIs variable costs are 35% of the farm’s output, for the arable enterprise in isolation these variable costs are 51% of the arable output.

Those farmers whose cashflow and storage ability allowed them to purchase fertiliser for

Perhaps the most alarming KPI shown left is that, according to our budget for the year ending March 2018, sixty percent of the farm’s profitability comes from the support payment.

According to the most recent DEFRA Farm Business Survey the average % is 87%. With the removal of subsidy now a real prospect there must be a focus on building resilience within systems to withstand this loss of income.

Looking at the KPIs can identify areas in which to focus on improvements, the data would suggest that our model farm is over equipped and that the machinery fleet is an area of concern. Like many businesses Tiger Farm has used contract farming as a means of expansion, there is a danger that over investment in machinery to ensure timely service to contract farming clients can burden the business with overbearing depreciation costs.

Conducting a SWOT analysis, identifying Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats for the business might seem an obvious process but acknowledging what these are as a group of stakeholders within a business is the first step to addressing them.

their 2018 crops in the summer of 2017 were able to take advantage of what in retrospect were low prices. Compared to the January 2018 prices, the increases in price equate to approximately £35/ha for winter wheat crops and £39/ha for winter oilseed rape crops. To put that in to perspective for Tiger Farm this equates to over £9,000.

been periods of buoyant lamb trade due to weakened sterling the family are considering how to reduce their cost of production.

Utilising arable land for sheep production for over winter grazing with forage crops could enable the farm to increase their flock size, without acquiring more land, and help them tackle the blackgrass affected areas of the farm with a different rotation. The farm is planning to undertake an analysis into the merits of this idea which will be included in the next edition of Agri View.

As the sheep enterprise is facing perhaps the most uncertainty with Brexit looming, the Fox family are considering how to make their operation more efficient. Whilst there have

SWOT analysis Strengths Own 200ha Manageable borrowing with £200,000 loan plus overdraft Family labour, skilled and motivated High yield potential soils Weaknesses

Opportunities Secure owned / long term tenancy base from which to expand Availability of fixed low interest long term borrowing Two sons in 20s, enthusiasm, degree educated Equipped to expand arable enterprise Diversification?

Establish new yard / base on owned land?

Willingness to embrace new technology Threats

Blackgrass Limited grain storage limits marketing options Machinery depreciation & HP/ha too high No diversified income (apart from one let cottage) Main yard on tenanted land (AHA)

Reliance on subsidy Unfavourable trade deal for sheep meat Rise in interest rates Family labour – do they all have same ambitions?

Open, honest communications?

Conflict within family through succession

Potential actions arising from SWOT analysis: • Consider switching a proportion of the overdraft into a fixed rate loan – this would reduce the risk from increasing interest rates and avoid annual arrangement fees.

• C onsider using substantial owned base of land for collateral for borrowing for diversification investment – commercial property?

• S tart the succession conversation, what are the ambitions of the children and can the business realistically accommodate them?

• Sheep enterprise – can costs be reduced in anticipation of an adverse trade deal for sheep meat and a subsequent fall in prices.

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Legislation update Like many farmers, Tiger Farm has recently been accepted into a new Countryside Stewardship Scheme. Although correspondence from Natural England was received in March, the agreement is back-dated to 1st January 2018, from which date all management requirements must be complied with.

This is also the start-date for any time-limited capital item claims (particularly relevant for any options where the work involved is seasonal, e.g. hedge laying).

New entrants into the scheme need to be mindful of the additional record-keeping requirements for the management options, as well as the requirement to check and submit an annual claim form by 15th May.

Tree surveys The high winds throughout the winter and spring months have caused damage to trees on farms across the country and emphasise the requirement to inspect trees regularly. Ideally this should be carried out by a qualified and experienced arborist, who will undertake a risk based survey of trees across a farm or estate according to the level of access.

Any trees identified as requiring immediate attention can usually be felled without a felling licence. For any other felling work required, landowners can fell up to 5 cubic metres of timber each calendar quarter without a licence. However, trees designated with a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) or located within a conservation area require prior approval from the Local Authority. Additionally, felling during the bird nesting season should be avoided where possible and, prior to any felling taking place, the trees must be inspected by a suitably competent individual to check for evidence of any nesting.

The requirements are described in the handbook, and include the following:

Key dates

• Receipted invoices, consents or permissions connected with any work.

• Invoices for any seed mixes purchased for the option • Details of field operations at a parcel level, including the date work was carried out and any invoices for the work (includes arable and permanent pasture options) • For GS2 Permanent Pasture with very low inputs - a standard soil analysis to be completed before submission of the first annual claim, and again in the final agreement year • For all grassland options - a grazing activity record (if applicable) – including dates, type of livestock and stocking rates.

Natural England will select a percentage of claimants at random each year to submit evidence of the above, and may also request photographic records of management undertaken throughout the following year.

15th May Deadline for submission of 2018 Basic Payment Scheme applications (with no penalty) Deadline for submission of Entry Level Stewardship, Higher Level Stewardship, and Countryside Stewardship annual Claim forms Deadline for transfer of BPS entitlements, to be activated for 2018 claim year.

30th April Deadline for application for a standalone 2018 hedgerow and boundary grant

Tom Paybody 07870 807236 tom.paybody@fishergerman.co.uk

Charlotte Gore 07785 425317 charlotte.gore@fishergerman.co.uk

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Bywell Estate wins gold at the Purdey Awards The Bywell shoot on the Allendale Estate in Northumberland has been given the UK’s leading award for Game and Wildlife Conservation; receiving gold for Wildlife and Conservation 2017 at the Purdey Awards in London.

The awards which are held annually aim to promote a wider understanding of the conservation benefits conferred on the countryside by shooting and game management, and to give recognition to those who work in this field.

The award was presented by Countryfile’s Adam Henson

and the Duke of Wellington at Purdeys in London, and was received by Viscount Allendale, Wentworth Beaumont and Bywell’s gamekeeper, Alan Edwards.

The Bywell project which was described by the judges as “truly outstanding in nurturing a myriad of wildlife”, was started five years ago with the aim of producing a sustainable stock of English (Grey) partridges and wild pheasants. However, it has also resulted in a dramatic increase of other wildlife including threatened species such as Lapwing and Curlew.

… truly outstanding in nurturing a myriad of wildlife.

Fisher German partner Holly Parry, consultant to Allendale Estates said “this is a great accolade, we are delighted that the Estate’s conservation efforts have been recognised on the national stage. Bywell has been transformed into a renowned wild bird estate.”

Holly Parry 07501 720416 holly.parry@fishergerman.co.uk

Rural estate review Fisher German are widely recognised for our entrepreneurial and innovative approach to make best use of our clients’ assets and improve profitability. As many rural estates prepare for a fall in the proportion of income derived from traditional agricultural practices, Fisher German are providing a strategic review service for clients, to ensure they are well positioned to meet the challenges ahead.

Although agriculture remains at the core of many farms and estates, making full use of assets to create a range of income streams and capital growth is key to provide income growth over the long term.

A Rural Estate Review includes a complete appraisal of all elements of the owner’s estate, highlighting opportunities for investment, cost reduction and alternative income streams. As a tool to aid future strategy, a review can identify areas of strength and opportunity within the estate.

David Merton 07770 333331 david.merton@fishergerman.co.uk

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Fisher German supporting the next generation Supported by the Princes Countryside Fund, Fresh Start Land Enterprise Centre CIC has been running Business Academies since 2006, and most recently, in Lincolnshire with their Agricultural Business Academy.

Hosted at Riseholme College, this 11 session learning experience is designed to help anyone looking to start up their own agri business or seeking to expand their existing business skills base. Each session is led by an industry expert who shares their knowledge and success, whilst highlighting the challenges of running your very own successful agri business, complemented by live case studies providing an on the ground account of reality.

Fisher German partner, James Goodson, has been involved in this academy from the start. As a member of the steering group, he has been instrumental in helping to design the programme, provide lead speaker and case study contacts, and deliver the ‘creating a business plan’ session towards the end of 2017. More recently, Fisher German HR director, Maria Hawley has delivered the ‘negotiation, communication and interview skills’ session.

Louise Dennington Eastern Regional Lead, for Fresh Start Land Enterprise Centre CIC says “We are hugely grateful to Fisher German for the provision of 3 hours business planning advice to the winners of the main business planning exercise – a task the delegates are given at the

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beginning of the programme to put the skills they learn throughout into action.

“Without this collaborative way of working we would be unable to deliver our initiatives so Fisher German’s interest and endorsement has been extremely valuable in the delivery of Fresh Start’s objectives.

“This Academy, and others that we run across the country, are supported by a range of industry stakeholders and are designed to help participants develop a strong innovative business approach, focusing on business planning, structures, finance, marketing and communication skills for the sector.”

You can find out more about Fresh Start and this initiative by visiting www. freshstartlandenterprise.org.uk. Contact Alison Rickett on 01629 810904, or Louise Dennington on 07801 743975.

E-mail info@freshstartlandenterprise.org.uk.

I found the insight into what banks look for in business plans fascinating and very useful, particularly the CAMPARI ICE loan assessment and the debt service cover.

It was also incredibly valuable having the opportunity to hear from somebody on the other end of recruitment for how best to present yourself in an interview as well as how to improve communication and negotiation in general.

Tom Wells, Academy Delegate

James Goodson 07918 628981 james.goodson@fishergerman.co.uk

Meet the team Our 16 offices provide local experts in all these work areas. If you would like guidance on any rural property matters, please contact one of us and we will ensure you get to talk to the very best advisor

David Merton

Stuart Flint

Head of Rural Sector – Estate management and strategic consultancy

Head of Agency Sector – Farms, estates and country house sales

07770 333331

07501 720422

david.merton@fishergerman.co.uk

stuart.flint@fishergerman.co.uk

Tom Heathcote

Darren Edwards

Agri-business

Sustainable energy

07918 628983

07918 677571

tom.heathcote@fishergerman.co.uk

darren.edwards@fishergerman.co.uk

Holly Parry

Charles Meynell

Valuation and general practice

Expert witness

07501 720416

07836 212307

holly.parry@fishergerman.co.uk

charles.meynell@fishergerman.co.uk

John Ikin

Kay Davies

Compulsory purchase

Planning

07887 627978

07733 124551

john.ikin@fishergerman.co.uk

kay.davies@fishergerman.co.uk

Ben Marshalsay

Richard Benson

Development

Building consultancy

07771 974322

07768 552827

ben.marshalsay@fishergerman.co.uk

richard.benson@fishergerman.co.uk

William Gagie

Richard Gadd

Minerals

Farm agency

07551 152691

07966 481487

william.gagie@fishergerman.co.uk

richard.gadd@fishergerman.co.uk

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