FW Awards 2009: Farm Manager of the Year finalist – Nick Padwick
“Hey guys – I’ve got a great idea.” – This sums up what Nick Padwick is all about. Relentlessly positive, Nick has not only transformed the Midlands estate he runs for the Cooperative Farms, but he has led a fantastically successful project to educate urban children about farming and food.
Nick manages the Co-operative Group’s flagship Stoughton Estate on the edge of Leicester – an exposure to a vast urban population that Nick has managed to exploit.
Having just notched up 20 years with the Co-operative Farms, Nick has seen – and driven – significant changes in that business.
On his arrival at Stoughton Nick discovered an aging, over-powered machinery fleet with punishingly high repair and maintenance costs. Nick’s plan to revolutionise the machinery and cultivations operations at Stoughton saw him take on the running of another Co-op estate more than 80 miles away.
His plan was radical enough – beginning with the disposal of over 90% of the Stoughton kit – but the sense of pooling the two farms’ tackle and getting the right machine in the right place at the right time soon became apparent. His rationalisation plan, which he calls “the train”, led to a comprehensive review throughout the Co-operative Farms’ business. To do this meant persuading the Co-op’s board to release about £150,000 in capital.
“Things only happen if you want them to, and I wanted to prove you could be radical and lop out lots of cost.
Part of Nick’s talent as a farm manager is not just to make the day job look very easy, although that reflects his meticulous attention to detail, it’s to quickly interpret emerging issues and understand how they will impact on the business he runs – hence the recent carbon audit of all Stoughton’s farming activities.
He admits to being “chuffed to bits” when he got the chance to manage the Co-op’s Stoughton operation – one of the biggest farms the Co-operative owns. “It was quite a feat for me and I was very aware that Stoughton had been run by one of the Co-op’s senior managers and I was ‘inheriting’ it. I was thrilled that Christine Tacon and the rest of the Co-operative Farms had given me the opportunity – and that’s the kind of opportunity I want to give to someone else.”
Nick doesn’t see his role ending at the farm gate. “The last few years have seen much greater links with the Co-operative Group’s retail activities. We grow milling wheat used for our own-brand plain and self-raising flour, sold throughout the UK. I am very proud when I see those bags on the shelf and know we have played an important part in promoting the Co-operative Farms.”
With Nick’s easy, approachable style, its no surprise he enjoys teaching others – whether that’s with the zeal of someone passionate about educating others about farming, or patiently explaining how a machine is used safely. It’s these skills that have helped Nick develop two very powerful initiatives that have had a real impact on others.
Stoughton Estate is now the Co-operative Farms “nursery” for the 50-60 harvest staff who will be despatched throughout the group’s farms.
“I was shocked at how we were treating our students and concerned about health and safety. I really wanted to get our recruitment project going again. Christine Tacon charged me with recruiting student workers for the whole of the co-op group. All our harvest staff go through a comprehensive residential training week, held at Stoughton, where they learn essential tractor-and-trailer skills and health and safety training.”
“We know when our students have left here they have got the basics right for our business.”
But ask Nick what he’s most proud of and he’ll point to the success of his Farm to Fork project, which has seen local schools’ classes literally get their hands dirty at Stoughton. And he’s not impressed by jonny-come-lately celebrity chefs’ efforts. “This was all long before Jamie Oliver came along.”
The Farm to Fork project was born in 2005 when Nick and his wife Michelle saw the gulf between children’s education and how food is produced. A small 4-acre field has become an outdoor classroom showing school children and teachers examples of farm crops and operations, including ancient varieties of grains. Nick and Michelle’s inspiring project has now been rolled out accross seven other Co-operative Group sites. This year some 20,000 children will have the Farm to Fork experience.
Nick is modest about what he has achieved. He’s thinking about the next challenge. “My attitude is always: We can do it better”.
Farm Facts
- Manages the Co-operative Farms’ flagship estate at Stoughton, Leicestershire.
- 1565ha cropping plus 351ha contract farmed for others
- Land mostly Grade 3 heavy Leicester clay, with much bladed out ridge-and-furrow
- Farmer’s son from Hampshire
- LANTRA instructor
- BASIS & FACTS qualified
What the judges said.
“You’re immediately struck by Nick Padwick’s enthusiasm and motivation for what he does. This man is a high achiever with a can-do attitude.”
Key achievements
- Devised machinery sharing plan
- Led the Co-op Farms’ Farm to Fork initiative
- Led the training of all Co-op Farms harvest staff