Our people
Our staff have developed a wealth of experience working in the dairy industry. We have specialists in nutrition and milking technology and all of our consultants have a special interest in the regions in which they work.
Ian Powell, Managing Director, B.Sc. Agriculture, MBIAC
Ian Powell worked for ADAS for 24 years and is now Managing Director of The Dairy Group. Ian works with a wide range of clients in providing strategic management, business appraisals, farm management and dairy consultancy. Ian has developed complex milk models to provide analysis of historic and projected milk prices. These models are used to develop milking price payment systems and to assist in milk field analysis. Ian is also responsible for The Dairy Group sourcing services and MCi.
E-Mail - Ian.Powell@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07831 617952
Nick Holt-Martyn, Operations Director, B.Sc. Agriculture
Nick Holt-Martyn worked for ADAS for 17 years and is now the Operations Director of The Dairy Group. Nick works with a diverse range of clients from farmers, dairy companies to Defra and EU Institutions. Nick uses strong intellectual, analytical and communications skills to deliver consultancy on international dairy markets, milk production forecasts, climate change, the impact of weather, institutional development and product research and development. These skills have produced unique solutions and models for UK dairy production, Single Farm Payment evaluation, Eurostat milk statistics, Milk Market Price Equivalent and milk price forecasting.
E-Mail - Nick.Holt-Martyn@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07836 348507
Ian Ohnstad, Principal Consultant, B.Sc. Agriculture
Location - National specialist
Ian Ohnstad worked for ADAS for 14 years before joining The Dairy Group. He is an internationally recognised specialist in milking technology. He leads The Dairy Group team of milking technology specialists, which provide independent advice on milking parlour specification and operation, hygienic milk production, mastitis control and dairy building design.
Ian is the Chairman of the British Mastitis Conference and is a Committee Chairman of the Teat Health Committee of the National Mastitis Council. He is an active member of the Central Mastitis Review Group.
As well as working throughout the UK, Ian Ohnstad has considerable overseas experience providing consultancy in the USA, Australia, Africa, New Zealand and Japan as well as throughout Europe.
Ian is regularly involved in expert witness actions for both Claimants and Defendants in all areas relating to milk harvesting and milk quality.
E-Mail - Ian.Ohnstad@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07774 267900
Tim Mckendrick, Senior Consultant, B.Sc. Agriculture, M.Sc.Dairy Animal Science
Milking Technology Specialist
Tim Mckendrick worked for ADAS for 6 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. Tim provides specialist advice in mastitis control, milk quality and the operation of the milking machine. He delivers technical training and support to farm staff, including courses for Polish workers on UK dairy farms. Tim also provides consultancy on the design of new dairy units.
E-Mail - Tim.Mckendrick@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07979 707493
Chris Savery, B.Sc. Biochemistry, Diploma in Nutrition
Location ~ national specialist
Chris Savery is a nationally recognised specialist in dairy nutrition. Chris worked for ADAS for 27 years before joining The Dairy Group. His expertise in the formulation of diets is balanced by a sound understanding of all the practical details for successful feeding. Chris’s clients appreciate that profitable milk production can only be achieved with good health and fertility, both highly influenced by nutrition. He is retained by the Maize Growers Association to provide independent nutrition advice.
E-Mail - Chris.Savery@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telphone - 07774 196825
Dave Budd, Principal Consultant, B.Sc. Agriculture
Location - North Devon
Dave Budd worked for ADAS for 15 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. Dave works mainly in Devon delivering consultancy in business management working with farmers and their bankers. He is involved in business strategy, budgets, cashflows, nutrition, grant schemes, fertiliser plans. Dave also facilitates the North Devon Dairy Discussion Group which meets on a monthly basis.
E-Mail - David.Budd@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone/Fax - 01271 379669
Mobile - 07774 196792
Will Hawkyard, Senior Consultant, B.Sc. Agriculture
Location - South Devon
Will Hawkyard worked for ADAS for 21 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. Will specialises in business management issues and dairy cow nutrition, but also covers the whole range of dairy farm management issues.
He has been involved in running farmer discussion groups for many years and has a wide knowledge of the current funding opportunities for such groups.
He is responsible for The Dairy Group feed buying groups in Devon and Cornwall and for sourcing of organic feeds in the South West.
Based just outside Torbay he works with clients across South, West and East Devon and parts of Somerset.
E-Mail - Will.Hawkyard@thedairygroup.co.uk
Tel – 01626 332399
Sally Tuer, Senior Consultant, B.Sc. Agriculture
Location ~ Somerset
Sally Tuer worked for ADAS for 21 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. Sally is a dairy business specialist providing consultancy to farmers in farm business and improving technical performance. Sally is SFEDI accredited. Sally provides consultancy on diversification, organic farming, environmental schemes (ELS, ESF, CSF), animal welfare and the Single Farm Payment.
E-Mail - Sally.Tuer@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07768 701135
Alan Edwards, Consultant, National Diploma in Agriculture. Diploma in Farm Management (Seale Hayne).
Location - Cheshire
Alan worked for ADAS for 16 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. Prior to this he worked as a relief milker/manager both in the U.K. and Canada before moving into farm management for the 12 years before joining ADAS in 1988.
Alan specialises in farm business management and dairy herd consultancy, working regularly with several thousand dairy cows and giving strategic business advice on thousand’s of acres.
Alan also undertakes expert witness work, business viability studies, E.L.S plans and farm diversification appraisals.
Alan has also formed, and operates a number of feed buying groups for The Dairy Group.
Alan is F.A.C.T.S. certified and a competent user of PLANET
E-Mail - Alan.Edwards@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone – 01270 627410
Terry Rose, Consultant
Location ~ North East
Terry worked for ADAS for 34 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. He is a dairy business specialist providing consultancy to farmers in farm business planning and improving technical performance. Terry provides consultancy on all aspects of dairy farming including forage crops, fertiliser planning, feeding cows, milking systems, housing and waste management as well as diversification, environmental schemes, animal welfare and the Single Payment and cross compliance issues.
E-Mail - Terry.Rose@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07850 777974
Christine Turner, Senior Consultant, BSc (Hons) Agriculture
Location - South East England
Christine Turner worked for ADAS for 8 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. Christine is a dairy business specialist advising farmers on both technical and business management issues including:
Technical
- Dairy cow and youngstock management
- Nutrition and feeding management
- Forage crop planning and production
- Fertility
- Bull selection
- Dairy cow health and welfare
Business Management
- Business / enterprise reviews / appraisals
- Cashflow and profit forecasts
- Milk buyer analysis
- Staff employment issues
- Single Farm Payment issues
- Entry Level Scheme
- Soil, Manure, Nutrient Management Plans
- Environmental issues including Environment Sensitive Farming and Catchment Sensitive Farming.
Christine has also organised a number of overseas study tours for farmers and has provided training for a number of farmer groups. She works closely together with her clients (family farming partnerships, limited companies and estates) alongside other industry professionals e.g. vets, accountants and bank managers.
E-Mail - Christine.Turner@thedairygroup.co.uk
Tel - 01722 744697 / 07831 172940
Bas van Santen, Consultant, Ingenieur in de Veehouderij
Location - national
Bas van Santen worked for ADAS for 8 years before he joined The Dairy Group. With ADAS he was responsible for the industry recognised ADAS Breeding Guide. He maintains the MCi Dairy Bull interactive website and sources dairy heifers for our customers.
Besides breeding work and being responsible for latest Dairy Group Breeding Guide he maintains a client base in North Devon and North Cornwall covering technical inputs on feeding, grassland and forage management, quota planning and business strategy work.
Bas also provides consultancy in milk technology work covering mastitis and bactoscan investigations, cow housing and commissioning testing of milking parlours on a National basis following the latest ISO standards.
He organises study tours abroad to show farmers how European dairy farmers manage their herds. During the study tours subjects like breeding, feeding, cow welfare & comfort, environmental legislation, grassland & forage management, alternative slurry storage, milking systems and robotic milking systems can be included.
E-Mail - Bas.Van.Santen@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07768 177477
Gillian Preece, Consultant, B.Sc. Animal Science, HNC Food Technology
Location - Midlands
Gillian Preece is our waste management specialist. Gillian worked for ADAS for 6 years before joining The Dairy Group. Gillian is a dairy business specialist providing consultancy to farmers in farm business and improving technical performance. Gillian provides consultancy on diversification, organic farming, environmental schemes (ELS, ESF, CSF), animal welfare and the Single Farm Payment.
E-Mail - Gillian.Preece@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07887 625962
Mike Palacio, Consultant, BA Business Administration, HND, DFM
Location - Somerset, Organic Specialist
Mike Palacio is our organic specialist. He worked for ADAS for 17 years before joining The Dairy Group. Mike has extensive commercial experience in looking at organic versus conventional systems and budgets, conversion plans and advice on maximising returns from the organic system.
E-Mail - Mike.Palacio@thedairygroup.co.uk
Tel – 07768 033036
Des Berriman, Principal Consultant, B.Sc. Agriculture, M.Sc.
Location - Cornwall
Des Berriman worked for ADAS for 35 years before joining The Dairy Group in 2004. Des has an in depth knowledge of farm business consultancy gained from preparation and monitoring of detailed business plans mainly in the South West of England. Covering livestock (Dairy, Beef, Sheep) and Arable Crop (mainly cereals). Des is accredited (SFEDI) to prepare Action Plans and Detailed Management Plans, forward budgets and monitored cash flows under Rural Business Support Initiative (RBSI) set up under EU Objective One funding in Cornwall. Des has extensive knowledge of soil fertility and fertiliser applications (including organic manures (Certified to give advice in fertiliser use by FACTS (Fertiliser Advisors Certification and Training Scheme). Member Basis Professional Register. (Yearly programme involving specific regular updates and training).
E-Mail - Des.Berriman@thedairygroup.co.uk
Telephone - 07836 387899
Nigel Hardie, Consultant
Location - North West
Nigel Hardie is a dairy business specialist providing consultancy to improve farm profit, technical performance and efficiency. Nigel provides consultancy on environmental schemes (ELS, ESF, CSF) and is FACTS qualified for fertiliser planning. He has experience in diversification, organic farming, animal welfare and the Single Farm Payment.
E-Mail - Nigel.Hardie@thedairygroup.co.uk
Mobile – 07710 898983
Home - 01228 564157
Becky Floate, Consultant, BSc (Hons) Environmental Science, NSch.
Location - Shropshire, Environmental Specialist
Becky Floate is our dairy environmental specialist providing advice to farmers on a range of agri-environmental issues. Becky provides advice in relation to soil and manure planning, ELS, HLS, pollution prevention, cross compliance and reports for complex waste exemptions.
Becky has extensive knowledge of soil fertility and nutrient applications, including organic manures. Certified to give advice in fertiliser use by FACTS. BASIS soil and water management certified. She has a thorough understanding of Cross Compliance requirements and the opportunities presented by Environmental Schemes. An experienced adviser in relation to diffuse pollution issues through the ADAS/DEFRA Environment Sensitive Farming Project.
E-Mail - Becky.Floate@thedairygroup.co.uk
Tel – 07774 120412
Brian Pocknee, Senior Dairy Husbandry Consultant, BSc (Hons), PhD
Brian Pocknee joined The Dairy Group in September 2008, following a successful career of 28 years working for ADAS across the Midlands and the North. Brian is nationally known for his dairy husbandry, milking technology and animal welfare consultancy. During his ADAS career Brian provided policy advice to Defra on dairy welfare issues and organised and delivered many of the dairy campaigns on behalf of Defra. In addition to consultancy to farmers and veterinary surgeons he also acts as an expert witness for both Claimants and Defendants in all areas relating to dairy husbandry and animal welfare.
Brian is editor and joint organiser of the British Mastitis Conference and is a Vice-Chairman of the Teat Health Committee of the National Mastitis Council.
E-Mail - brian.pocknee@thedairygroup.co.uk
Tel – 01522 809171; 07831 851440
