Adrian Whitehead

Cambridgeshire Farmer

I have worked for Velcourt for over 25years managing a number of business’s on varying soils types from blowing sands in Suffolk to heavy clays in Lincolnshire. I grew up on a mixed family farm in Kent and over the years have had experience in managing a number of enterprises from a high preforming dairy herd to high value crops on silts in Norfolk.

Currently I am managing a group of business in West Norfolk on predominantly silts with varying clay content. Cropping includes combinable crops, sugar beet, potatoes, onions and vining peas. Some of these crops are grown with the benefit of irrigation.

I have always believed in a sustainable rotation in which organic manures have a big part to play in improving soil fertility and workability.

Cultivations are very much dependant on the following crop and vary from lo disturbance drilling, minimal tillage through to ploughing for root crops.

Technology has a huge part to play in the future of agriculture, all the prime movers are RTK guided, we are using variable rate technology for seeding and artificial fertiliser application along with yield mapping on the combines.