Rob Allan
Rob Allan, Estate Manager, Upton Farm, Warwickshire/Oxon border
“Since we introduced Conservation Grade at Upton we have seen a huge increase in wildlife. We have barn owls nesting for the first time, a wide variety of butterfly species and many varieties of bumblebees.” says Rob Allan. As Estate Manager of Upton, he has a challenging task - the farm is part of the Upton Estate and has to make a profit for the owners as well as supplying Jordans with high quality grain.
Rob has been in charge of the farm for the past eight years and lives on the estate with his wife and four small children. Unlike many farmers who inherit their land and knowledge, Rob does not come from a farming background but always loved the countryside and from the age of ten was ‘helping out’ at local farms. As Rob says “I grew up with farming and never really wanted to do anything else. I am lucky, I have a great lifestyle”. After agricultural college Rob gained a wealth of farming experience before arriving at Upton.
The farm is mixed, its 2000 acres are divided into 1200acres for arable crops, 400 acres of grazing for sheep and the remainder a mixture of park and woodland. Rob grows oats, wheat and barley to Conservation Grade standards and at least half of the crop is bought by Jordans for use in our cereals and bars. Rob has been involved in the scheme for a number of years and he plays an important role in its evolution, as a vast amount of work trialling new habitats and recording wildlife is conducted at Upton.
But growing food for wildlife is no easy task. “Conservation Grade is an ongoing management commitment, you can’t just plant wildflowers and leave them, they have to be managed as any other crop would. That takes a lot of time and effort and you have to be totally committed to the overall aim, which is to increase wildlife on your farm. In reality, I have over 150 acres of different habitats to manage so it’s hard work, but well worth the effort when you see the wildlife returning.”