2010 FW Awards: Farm Manager of the Year finalist – Andrew Hughes
Andrew Hughes’ modest manner belies a formidable entrepreneurial talent.
The grandson of well-known Hampshire farmer Nelson Dance, Andrew has branched outside agriculture twice.
A break from farming in the late 1990s saw him build a successful website design business. Following that he set up a grounds maintenance business serving new retail and industrial units nearby, that now has an annual turnover of more than £200,000.
His most recent project has been the creation of Andover Storage – a small business making use of redundant dairy buildings and tapping into the growing demand for small, secure household goods storage. With Andrew’s typical attention to detail and shrewd business sense, this enterprise has quickly grown to capacity with more buildings earmarked for conversion.
But his greatest achievement, and the one he’s clearly proudest of, is a change in direction of farming and environmental management at Trinley Estate.
“It’s really not that long ago there were 1000 head of cattle here,” he says.
Trinley Estate now drills 720ha of combinable crops while a nucleus herd of White Park cattle graze small grassland parcels – an integral part of the HLS project. These beasts haven’t escaped Andrew’s entrepreneurial gaze – a rare-breed beef box scheme is in the pipeline.
Although he’s a beneficiary of the family trust that now owns the estate, Andrew is an employed manager and is accountable to trustees on strictly business terms.
“I achieved a lot when I went away – off my own bat and from nothing. And that gave me the confidence to build the business that I have today.”
That process began with “a proper old-fashioned farm sale” and a complete overhaul of the farm’s enterprises. A wholesale shift to efficient arable production, embracing a minimum-tillage system and a fearless commitment to both Entry Level and Higher Level Stewardship have all followed.
“I’m a great believer in timeliness – it can be the difference between good and bad farming.”
But Andrew is very clear that he operates as part of a team. “Mark Glide, my agronomist, has been a great help in turning this farm around. And Sean is my right-hand man. He’s the ideal chap to help me move the business forward – he’s focused and thorough, and his involvement has given me a lot of encouragement.”
But Andrew is as comfortable in the farm office as in the workshop, and no less focused. “I’m completely sold for harvest 2010, and my cash flows are fully forecasted for next year. I consider that, at any one time, I have a selling window of three years and I aim to make the most of that marketing potential.”
He’s also grasped the opportunity to make his single farm payment worth more, by locking into a fixed exchange rate before the pound began to strengthen against the euro.
Much of Andrew’s character is reflected in his high standard of presentation. Farm sites are tidy and he and his staff take pride in even the smallest operation at Trinley.
His credentials as an environmental manager are just as impressive as his other achievements.
“I want to farm every acre to its maximum potential, whether that’s for environmental benefit or food production.”
A key factor in Andrew’s programme of change and development at Trinley has been his exit strategy. Now 51, Andrew will retire from Trinley at 60. “I have other goals I want to achieve and by then it will be the right time for me to move on.”
There’s no doubt that, when the time comes, Andrew will be able to feel intensly proud of his achievements as an outstanding farm manager.
FARM FACTS
• Type of enterprise: Predominantly arable with a new beef box scheme venture from rare breed White Park cattle
• Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship
• Farm size: 720ha (1780 acres)
THE JUDGES LIKED
• Shrewd business sense
• Entrepreneurial approach to the business
• Developed Trinley Estate brand