Ben Andrews

Herefordshire

Horticulture (organic)

MIXED, HEREFORDSHIRE. Ben farms in partnership with his father on a 450-acre (182ha) tenanted and 150-acre (60ha) owned mixed organic farm. They have cattle which graze the river meadows from spring until autumn and they grow both cereal and vegetable crops and cut sunflowers on higher ground.

Improving biodiversity on the farm provides Ben with a great buzz. Both his involvement with stewardship schemes and organic practices have produced gains to the point that the skylarks are almost deafening in summer.

With a rich family history based in agriculture as far back as the 17th century, Ben briefly tried city life, but after 18 months returned to his roots on the farm.

Contact Ben

Beyond the farm, Ben has interests in photography, long distance cross country running, cycling and cross-fit, and has just started getting into bird watching.

Talking Point

Ben feels the biggest issue in the industry is the demonisation of livestock. “Despite the UN IPCC report clearly stating that sustainable animal agriculture can actually help mitigate climate change, very few journalists picked up on this point,” he says. Ben believes that a clear distinction needs to be made about which agricultural practices are sustainable and which aren’t, with everything backed up by figures. He feels that farming is both part of the problem and the solution to climate change, but unless livestock farming is viewed as both, nothing will change.

Declared interests

Member of the National Farmers Union, Country Land and Business Association, Landworkers Alliance and the Soil Association. He works with Agrespect to tackle homophobia in the agriculture industry.

Happy to talk about

agricultural policy agroecology agroforestry animal feed animal health animal rights activism animal welfare antibiotic reduction antibiotic resistance antibiotic use beef beef production biodiversity Bovine TB brassicas Brexit carbon emissions carbon footprint carbon neutral carbon reduction cavolo nero cheap food climate change clover Common Agricultural Policy depression education Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) environmental stewardship extensive agriculture family farming farm succession flooding fly-tipping food safety food waste foodie culture free range fresh produce harvest healthy eating horticulture kale lab-grown meat LGBTQ+ local food local food movements loss of small abattoirs manure management mental health in farming migrant workers mixed farming nature friendly farming new entrants Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) nitrates organic organic cereal production organic vegetable production public access public money for public goods Red Tractor reducing inputs regenerative agriculture rise of veganism rural crime seasonal agricultural workers seasonal food soil soil health straw stress subsidies supermarkets supply chains synthetic food Tenant farming veganism vegetables wildlife wildlife crime