Meet the team

Advisor for Northants, Bedfordshire, Leicestershire and West Cambridgeshire

jgavin2@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:
I come from a mixed farming background in Northern Ireland and most recently I have been giving water quality advice through Catchment Sensitive Farming in the Lower Great Ouse catchment (Northants, Beds, Cambs).

I want to talk to farmers about…
The challenges they face with crop protection and how we can work together to find practical solutions to the joint issue of pesticides in drinking water. It should be a two-way exchange and I want to find out what would help farmers to tackle these challenges.

Advisor for Essex and Suffolk

ghodgetts@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:
I’ve been working with and alongside agriculture in the Essex and Suffolk area since 2008, when I was delivering countryside stewardship and overseeing protected sites for Natural England. I subsequently became a Catchment Sensitive Farming officer building relationships with land managers and partners to raise awareness of local challenges and support change. This local knowledge, experience and contacts really help me as an Anglian Water Catchment Advisor, as its only through working together that we can reduce risks to raw water quality. 

I want to talk to farmers about...
Land and water connectivity plus understanding the pressure points and opportunities on their holding’s. Focusing on those areas with practical, locally relevant advice can not only support resource protection but also help build robustness and efficiencies for both the food and water industries.

Catchment Advisor

jjackson4@anglianwater.co.uk 

My agricultural background:

I attended Bishop Burton Agricultural College during the mid 1980’s at the same time that I started working on the family farm. My passion has always been farming and I’m still involved. My husband and son are on the farm and I help whenever I can. We have a mixed farm with sheep, combinable crops and sugar beet. 

I want to talk to farmers about...
the pressures that we face both within agriculture and the water industry and how we can really work together. I understand the difficulties that Anglian Water face to supply wholesome drinking water but I also understand the challenges that modern farming practises bring. I want to spend time working through the issues that farmers have to reach an outcome that’s suitable for them and will be beneficial to us all.

Advisor for Norfolk and Suffolk

rholland2@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:
I studied at Riseholme Agricultural College in Lincoln leaving with a diploma in agricultural management, worked on a variety of farms before becoming an Agriculture Liaison Officer for the National Grid (gas) during mains laying projects across the UK. Before joining Anglian Water I was delivering catchment advice to farmers in the Broadland area and Suffolk on behalf of Essex & Suffolk Water and the Broads Authority.

I want to talk to farmers about...
The issues that they have that seem “impossible to solve”. I believe there is always an answer, it just needs the right approach. Talking to farmers and land managers and finding those innovations that suit an individual situation is very satisfying. Each farm, indeed every field, is unique and often need unique measures. I want farmers to invite Anglian Water onto their farm to discuss improvements they could be making, with Anglian Water’s help, to reduce the impact they may be having on the environment.

Catchment Advisor

rcarter2@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:
I studied Animal Science at Nottingham University before joining RSK ADAS Ltd for five years as an Agricultural Consultant working on a wide range of projects, mainly in the arable sector ranging from on farm advice to organising technical farmer meetings. I found that working directly with farmers was what I enjoyed the most, and an area where changes to the farm system could be trialled and  real differences made. I am BASIS (arable), FACTS and BASIS Soils and Water qualified.

I want to talk to farmers about...
how to maximise the value of their already existing methods and features they have already on the farm and how small tweaks can be a win-win on the farm and for the environment. I am particularly interested in soil health and seeing the farm from a holistic standpoint and how we as an industry can continue to improve farm resilience and gross margin, whilst protecting and improving the environment.

Catchment Advisor

chewis@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:

I started work on an all arable farm in North Lincolnshire with cereals, beet and potatoes, before heading off to Lincolnshire College of Agriculture & Horticulture, Riseholme to study the National Diploma in Agriculture. I then spent 33 years as working farm manager on mixed arable & suckler beef farm before joining Anglian Water as a Catchment Advisor. Along the way I’ve also been involved with agronomy and livestock discussion groups and the social media group, clubhectare. 

I want to talk to farmers about...
Where the water goes when it leaves the farm, managing available resources responsibly, reducing diffuse pollution, and how we all need to work together to ensure sustainable farming businesses. 

Nutrients Advisor (regional) / Catchment Scientist

fwood@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:

My interest in farming began with working on market gardens, before and after doing a masters degree in Sustainable Agriculture at the Scottish Agricultural College in Aberdeen. After a spell in research looking into how nutrients are lost from farmland into watercourses, I went on to work for FWAG in Worcestershire for several years. Getting closer to the practical end of things again was where really I wanted to be, and I worked with many farmers on all aspects of the Environmental Stewardship schemes as well as delivering resource management visits for Catchment Sensitive Farming.

I want to talk to farmers about...

I now work mainly on supporting farm nutrient efficiency across the region, particularly with respect to nitrate use around our nitrate affected groundwater sources.

There’s always something that can be done on each farm, and although no-one can do everything, I want to help you find where the opportunities are on your farm. Small improvements add up to make a big difference, helping both the farm business and the environment to thrive.

Catchment Adviser

khemmings@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:

I worked in administrative management for many years and changed my career direction in 2013 when I undertook a BSc Land Management degree at Moulton College and Northampton University.  I was supported by the GWCT and NFU which provided the opportunity for me to specialise in water quality and agriculture.  I joined Catchment Sensitive Farming for a number of years as an adviser and River Basin Coordinator and have now joined Anglian Water as catchment adviser in the Nene and Upper Bedford Ouse catchments. 

I want to talk to land managers about...

How can we work together to provide healthy food production and farm business systems that support the provision of clean air and water quality.

Senior Agronomy Advisor

rreynolds@anglianwater.co.uk

My agricultural background:

Brought up in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa around dairy, timber and sugarcane I received a Masters Degree in Agriculture before working as a researcher with the Department of Agriculture.  Running arable and livestock trials in a province three times the size of the Anglian Water presented challenges but emphasised the value of a balance between business insight and human skills when considering agricultural solutions. 

I want to talk to farmers about...
How we can work together to improve the productivity and resilience of both businesses.  Agriculture sits at the top of the water supply chain so it makes sense to work together to achieve short term challenges and long term ambitions.