Wendy Houston, Chairman
Wendy has a degree in psychology, and spent a year with Shell before deciding to return to the family farming business in Swilland, Suffolk.
Wendy has been driving the business, S.E. Kent & Son, forward for 20 years, farming 450 ha acres of owned and FBT land. She operates a six-year rotation encompassing wheat, barley, oilseed rape, spring beans and sugar beet, alongside a 550-sow farrow-to-finish unit.
Wendy became a Fram Farmers board Director in 2015, was appointed Vice Chairman in November 2019 and became Chairman in November 2022.
Our board of directors are appointed to represent our shareholders' interests and ensure that the company's management acts on their behalf.
Doug Inglis, Vice Chairman
With a degree in Agriculture from Newcastle University, Douglas joined Velcourt Ltd as a trainee manager in 1979. He managed a 1200ha farm in Lincolnshire for five years, before moving to Suffolk in 1986 to manage a large arable farm growing potatoes, carrots, sugar beet, onions and combinable crops.
He became a director in 1992 and took on various responsibilities including Director of the South East. During his time with Velcourt he was responsible for purchasing fertiliser, setting up machinery hire deals and organising rebates from manufacturers.
Douglas now runs his own consultancy business, giving management and agronomy advice to a number of farming businesses, and is BASIS and FACTS qualified. Douglas joined the board in 2020 and was appointed Vice Chairman in November 2022.
Frans de Boer
Frans was born and bred into farming - after studying agriculture for at Brinsbury College of Agriculture, Frans became a partner in the family business and has managed the business for the last 24 years.
The dairy gave way to arable in 2004, with a diversification into crimped grain maize as a contracting service and for direct sale to dairy and beef farms.
Further diversification in 2015 saw the development of a 500kw AD plant which has enabled the family business to expand.
Frans currently farms 450 ha of which 115 is owned, 160 is rented and 175 is on contract. The rotation is largely maize, wheat and hybrid rye.
Frans has been a Fram Farmers member since the Lewes Farmers merger in 2005 and joined the board in 2021.
James Foskett
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Before running the family farm, James studied for a diploma at Writtle Agricultural College. He returned to his farm in Bromeswell, Suffolk in 1979. James now farms 1650 ha, producing mainly potatoes, onions and organic vegetables. In 2012 they installed a 300 KVA solar photovoltaic system to help cut their carbon footprint by generating some of their own electricity, from which they run their cold stores. In 2018 James won first prize in the Suffolk Agricultural Associations Large Farms Business competition award. James became a Fram Farmers member in 1980 and has been a member of the board since 2015. |
Michael Muncey
Michael Muncey brings over thirty years of ag-chem experience to the board, having served a number of UK roles within Bayer Crop Science, including agronomy, sales, marketing, and product management.
Michael moved back to the UK in 2017 to take on the role of Managing Director for the UK Bayer Crop Science business before stepping back at the end of August 2021.
Now semi-retired, Michael sits on the board of AIC in a Welsh Policy Manager role, and Albert Bartlett as a non-executive director,
Michael joined the board in 2021.
Robin Lawson
Robin Lawson currently works for his family farming business, Rattlerow Farms. He studied Economics and Business Management at Newcastle University, graduating in 2010.
Robert spent six years working for Deloitte London, where he worked for clients across a number of industries including agriculture, shipping and chemical manufacturing. He holds a full ACA qualification and is a member of the Institute for Chartered Accounts (ICAEW).
Robin grew up on his family farm, working with the pigs from a young age. He returned to the family business in 2015 and currently works in the role of General Manager.
Rattlerow Farms has been a Fram Farmers member since 1980 and Robin joined the board in 2019.
David Sheppard
David Sheppard has over 25 years’ experience in the grain trade as Gleadell Trading Director from 1997-2005, before serving as Managing Director from 2005-2019.
From February 2019 to January 2020 David was joint Managing Director of ADM Agriculture and was the lead in joining Gleadell, Dunns, ADM Direct and ADM Arkady into one business.
From January 2020, Norfolk-based David remained as a Director of ADM Agriculture before stepping back at the end of 2021.
David joined the board in 2022.
Andrew Read
Andrew is a fourth generation Depden farmer who studied agricultural engineering at West Suffolk College and Chadacre Agricultural Institute, before joining the family business, M.F. Read & Sons, in 1982.
In 1986 he set up a bulk haulage business, alongside the arable farm enterprise, and in 2010 entered into a machinery and labour-saving venture with a neighbouring farm to reduce production costs.
Andrew’s farm joined the co-operative in 2005 and now operates 610 ha of owned, rented and contract farmed arable land together with a livery yard for 22 horses. Andrew became a Fram Farmers Board Director in 2015 and was Chairman of Fram Farmers from November 2019 until November 2022
Mark Wells
Originating from a family farming background in Wiltshire, Mark studied at Harper Adams University before managing a beef and sugar cane business in South Africa.
Mark then returned to the UK to take a position within Velcourt Ltd, managing several farming businesses in the Suffolk area over 9 years.
Mark then moved onto a very diverse business for the Gittus family in West Suffolk 16 years ago helping steer the business through many challenges and changes. He became Managing Director of the business in 2020 and oversees the various enterprises, arable farming and contracting, an anaerobic digestion plant, and a business park. He is BASIS and FACTS qualified and completed the Worshipful Company of Farmers Advanced Business Management course in 2015.
Tom Halton
Tom and Karen Halton are dairy farmers based in Cheshire, milking 530 ProCross cows (a three-way cross made up of Viking Red, Montbeliarde and Holstein) with 300 heifers currently waiting to enter the herd on a 240ha (593-acre) tenanted dairy farm in Astbury, Cheshire.
In 2016 they set up The Milkshack on their farm, selling raw milk from a vending machine. They now also sell pasteurised milk, milkshakes, cheese, eggs, cakes, butter and many other goodies.
Tom is passionate about animal welfare and educating the general public on dairy farming behind the scenes, running farm tours for schools, colleges, universities, Cubs, Scouts and other outside organisations. He is also very engaged in how best to attract and retain staff into farming businesses.
Tom and Karen have previously been an AHDB Strategic Farm as well as active members of the Crewe discussion group and the Cheshire Agricultural Chaplaincy.
Rob Raven
Rob Raven farms a wide range of crops and soil types around the Norfolk/Suffolk border. In the early 2000’s Rob began introducing more regenerative husbandry approaches within his business, initially with direct drilling his 250ha family farm with a home-made tine drill, and now incorporates livestock, cover cropping and reduced inputs, farming as far as possible within the principles of regenerative agriculture.
Rob now provides regenerative contract farming services on several nearby farms, as well as a farm management services on two local country estates which are transitioning to regenerative agriculture. Rob is now responsible for crops and livestock across 4,000ha.
Rob has previously worked for a buying group in Durham and therefore has a good understanding of the farmer cooperative sector as well as experience as a member of NFU and Natural England boards.