The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) has appointed Joe Stanley as the new head of training and partnerships at its Allerton Project demonstration farm.

Stanley brings a wealth of experience to the role, having previously run a 750ac mixed farm in the National Forest in Leicestershire, in partnership with his parents.

Stanley is raring to get started and said:

“I look forward to continuing the groundbreaking work that the project has delivered over the last 25 years on many aspects of wildlife-friendly farming.

Our food production systems must increasingly combine biodiversity and carbon whilst striving to deliver an economically sustainable model for UK growers.

“I look forward to working with the Allerton team to address this challenge.”

Future direction of landscape management

With the future direction of landscape management, balancing an enhanced environment with sustainable food production and communicating this to a wider audience is a growing sectoral issue.

Stanley is vice-chair of Leicestershire, Northants and Rutland National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and is a vocal advocate for British farming, appearing frequently across national broadcast media and writing in the national and farming press.

His first book, Farm to Fork: The Challenge of Sustainable Farming in 21st Century Britain, is expected to be published in August.

Project director, Dr. Alastair Leake commented:

“What a great time to join the Allerton Project. Joe will lead the training and partnership team and work closely with the farming and research departments to coordinate the project’s external messaging.

We are delighted to welcome Joe; he brings a combination of practical farming experience, a proven ability to communicate on a broad range of subjects and has a cross-section of industry contacts.

“Joe succeeds Phil Jarvis, who moves to an exciting new challenge in the industry. We would like to thank Phil for his contribution as one of the cornerstones of the Allerton Project for many years.”