Council Staff
Council Members for Year 2011
Five Council meetings are held each year. All RABDF members are welcome to contact Council to air their views and, if required, to ask that them to put forward those views at forthcoming Council meetings.
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Chairman - David Cotton
David farms in family partnership in mid-Somerset with 160 Holstein Friesians averaging 8800 litres. Home of Kingshay Farming Trust with various trials on farm. Former County Chairman of Somerset YFC and Somerset CMA. Member of IagrM and Council Member of Milk Link. Married with two young daughters with tennis as a hobby away from the business.
Tel (H): 01458 850 431
Fax: 01458 850 626 |
Mob: 07771 824 690
E-mail: dwcotton@msn.com |
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Vice Chairman- Ian Macalpine
Having run his own dairy herd for the last 28 years, Ian changed from Holstein Friesians to Jerseys in 2002. The 250 cow Ribblesdale Jersey herd was RABDF/NMR Gold Cup winner in 2007. Ian believes stronger links should be forged with milk markets to strengthen the dairy farmers' position; and that new and young people should be encouraged to work and invest in our industry. He would like to contribute to that future.
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Derrick Davies
Derrick is a farmer's son from south west Wales where he is in partnership with his brother in a dairy farm. He lives in Berkshire where he manages two estates with 270 milking cows based at one farm supplying milk to Marks and Spencer. Derrick is also a representative for the dairy farmers supplying milk to M&S. His hobbies include watching rugby and flying.
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Lyndon Edwards
Managing partner of a 560 acres family farm (organic since 2000), 200 cows (Beechpike herd), Nuffield Scholar, Waitangi fellow, Director of OMSCO, President of Chepstow Agricultural Society, Director of the Dairy Event 2001/2, Chairman of RABDF 2007-1010.
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Margaret Hall
Margaret farms with husband Chris and two teenage daughters, with a team of locally recruited staff/contractors. 500 high-input Holsteins in the Pennine Less Favoured Area selling milk to Arla/ASDA, growing as much home-produced food as possible. Agriculture graduate, Nuffield Scholar, former consultant. Interested in all aspects of dairy farm efficiency – welfare, slurry and nitrogen use, energy, nutrients balancing, carbon footprints and staff retention.
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John Owen
Married with one teenage son. As Farm Manager at Gelli Aur College, he runs the 400 cow Two Herd Evaluation project, managing both a low input spring calving crossbred herd and a purebred black and white autumn calving higher input herd, and delivers relevant comparisons. He is a 2002 Trehane Nuffield Scholar and studied 'The Role of Development Farms in Successful Technology Transfer.' He has also served on the management committee of the British Grassland Society and is a keen member of the European Dairy Farmers Club.
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Mark Roach
Managing director of Grosvenor Farms for the last twelve years - a large dairy/arable business in Cheshire, with four dairy herds totalling 1400 cows, including the Gold Cup winning herd 2006. Previously worked as a Dairy Consultant working closely with some of the country's leading dairy farmers. Has a wide appreciation of dairy farming issues, particularly large scale dairy business management.
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David Roberts
Head of SAC Dairy Research Centre, Crichton Royal Farm, Dumfries. Research interests include development of dairy systems, grassland and feeding of by-products. In addition to research work, also involved in teaching and consultancy. Recent consultancy work has included farm assurance and improving nitrogen efficiency on dairy farms. Nuffield Scholar - studied dairy farming systems in Israel and Portugal. Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies.
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Andrew Snodgrass
Andrew has been a farm consultant in Shropshire/Cheshire since 1978. He has been in partnership with his son on a 480 acre farm since 2002 where they milk 250 North American Jerseys. Co director of Marches Green energy and from 1990 to 2008 he owned and operated with his wife a nursing home in Shrewsbury for 32 residents.
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Will Taylor
Will Taylor, OBE is a dairy farmer from Kircubbin in county Down. He was elected as a Director of United Dairy Farmers in 2000 and has retired. He has been a member of the Food Standards Agency Committee for Northern Ireland and was a Nuffield Farming Scholar in 2004. He was formerly president of the Ulster Farmers Union, President of the British Grassland Society and the Chairman of the EU Advisory Committee on livestock.
He milks 250 pedigree Holstein three times a day and is managing director of Glastry Farm Ice Cream.
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Guy Trehane
Milking 170 cows in the long established Hampreston herd of Holstein Friesians. Unique in having closed all the female families since 1913. A Nuffield Scholar and past chairman of the Maize Growers Association. In the face of bTB and NVZs I actively campaign as a member of the Commercial Farmers Group and the past chair of the RASE committee on "Science, Agriculture and Rural Affairs" for sound science, sustainability and competitiveness to be the key drivers for the future of British dairying.
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William Whiteford
Dairy farmer and partner in family business, milking 300-400 Ayrshire and Red & White's in the North of England. RABDF Council Member & linked with Dairy Event as Cattle Steward. Part of organising group to represent dairy farmers in forward farming project. Mindful of RABDF's position 'no future without youth on board', keen to assist and listen to comments & thoughts of our younger members. Stakeholder on Animal Health For Dairy North of England.
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Angus Wielkopolski
As both a practical farmer (milking 2000 goats on 300 acres) and a milk processor of both goats and cows milk, Angus has experience in the production and marketing of milk products. He fully supports the need for a sustainable dairy industry, earning a fair return from producing products that today's consumers demand.
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