organic farming

 soil & fertility management soil evaluation environmental management

organic food processing



organic farmer collectives

organic food & processing grassland management farming groups

organic certification


organic weed management

costings for organic farming

environmental management

organic certification

abacus organic services

organic produce management marketing

 

associates

There are fourteen consultants within Abacus Organic Services Ltd, with a wide range of disciplines and experience with the ability to provide farmer, growers, processors, packers and retailers with quality and cost effective advice and technical support right across the food chain on a UK and international basis. As a client you can access all of this expertise.

The strength of the Abacus Organic Services Ltd team is the wide range of skills and expertise and the extensive network of organic sector contacts. These include Organic food retail supply chain management, organic farm business management advice, food production and procurement, protected cropping, horticulture, fruit, arable and root crop production, livestock management (dairy, beef, lamb, poultry and pork), financial analysis, continuity programming, organic food processing, product development, food hygiene and safety, the development of quality systems and HACCP’s, technical monitoring of UK, European and International supply, land and property management, business analysis and training to individuals, co-operative groups and corporate clients. There are four Defra licensed organic inspectors within Abacus with extensive knowledge of organic auditing and supply chain integrity on a UK and international basis.

Abacus Organic has regional offices in : DEVON,  Sidmouth; NORFOLK, Fakenham & Kings Lynn ; SUFFOLK, Barnham; BEDFORDSHIRE, Ampthill ; WILTSHIRE, Marlborough & Chippenham; WARWICKSHIRE, Lower Tysoe; RUTLAND, South Luffenham; LINCOLNSHIRE, Lincoln, Louth & Spalding ;  CHESHIRE, Neston & Willaston.


Abacus consultants' skills and expertise can be summarised as follows:

(click on a Name for more about that consultant)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STEPHEN BRIGGS (Director)                       Contact Stephen Briggs

Qualifications: BSc, MSc, HND – Agriculture and rural resource management

Competencies: Project  management, Audit system development and implementation, Business planning and strategic management review, change management, financial analysis and budgeting, training. Creation of business plans and applications, business structure development, benchmarking using diagnostic tools and on-going business support to achieve business improvement. Supply chain development to help open new market opportunities, local food and supply chain development, Co-op and group formation and development, arable production, soil management, beef, sheep production. Training programme development and delivery.

UK and International experience.          


 

 
 

 

 

 

MIKE TAME (Director)                                                    Contact Mike Tame

Qualifications: PhD, BSc - Biochem

Competencies: Dairy, beef, sheep, livestock management and programming, ration & feed planning, forage management, livestock health management, training and group facilitation, food and supply chain development, grant scheme applications and management, farm shop and retail development. Training programme development and delivery.


 

 
   

GARETH JONES (Director)                                     Contact Gareth Jones

Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Agriculture and Rural Business Management

Competencies: Business planning and strategic management review, change management, financial analysis and budgeting. Creation of business plans and applications, business structure development. Supply chain development to help open new market opportunities, local food and supply chain development. Dairy, beef, sheep, upland livestock systems, business planning and management, financial analysis. UK and International experience.


 

 
   

ISOBEL WRIGHT                                                       Contact Isobel Wright

Qualifications: BSc agriculture, BASIS, FACTS

Competencies: Business planning and strategic management review, change management, financial analysis and budgeting, training. Creation of business plans and applications, business structure development, benchmarking using diagnostic tools, supply chain development to help open new market opportunities, local food and supply chain development, Co-op and group formation and development. Arable, root and field scale vegetable production, business planning and management, financial analysis, training.

UK and International experience.


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RIC BOWERS                                                                Contact Ric Bowers

Qualifications: Involved in organic sector since 1975; -  production and supply chain management

Competencies: Registered Defra Organic Inspector. Horticultural Production Procurement, Identification and selection of “Organic Suppliers” Technical monitoring of suppliers in UK, Europe, International, planning for the Corporate/Packer/Food Processor sector, Field scale & Intensive horticultural production, continuity programming, business planning and management, financial analysis. Funding applications, business structure development, supply chain development, local food network development and supply chain development, Co-op and group formation and development. Pack house and distribution centre development. Training in Stock Management and Control, reconciliation of inputs / outputs, traceability.      

UK, European & International experience


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

NICK SANDALL                                                        Contact Nick Sandall

Qualifications: Agricultural Degree

Competencies: Field scale & Intensive horticultural production, continuity programming, business planning and management, financial analysis. Funding applications, business structure development, supply chain development, local food network development and supply chain development, herb production, box schemes, market research and intelligence, financial analysis.

UK and International experience.


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAM FRANKLIN                                                      Contact Sam Franklin

Qualifications: BSc Agriculture, MSc Marketing and Management, MRICS

Competencies: Product development, Marketing strategy development and implementation, project management, Financial analysis. local food and supply chain development . Business planning and strategic management review, change management, financial analysis and budgeting, training.

Rural diversification, planning applications, environmental management, land agency, property advice and management. Tenancies, share farm / contractor agreements, rent reviews, business planning and marketing. Compulsory purchase schemes. Enforcements and appeals, change of use of buildings.

UK and International experience.


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

DAN POWELL                                                              Contact Dan Powell

Qualifications: BSc Agriculture, MSc

Competencies: Red meat specialist, Beef, Lamb, Pork and Dairy. Livestock management and programming, Quality assurance schemes, pre and post harvest handling/grading, ration & feed planning, forage management, livestock health management, training and group facilitation, food and supply chain development, grant scheme applications and management, farm shop and retail development.

UK and International experience.


 

 
   

GRAHAM COLLIER                                              Contact Graham Collier

Qualifications: PhD Botany, BSc (Hons) Applied Chemistry

Competencies: Local food and supply chain development. Development, implementation and management of local food networks. UK and international Horticultural Fresh Produce business development and Procurement, Innovative product and market, development, commercial exploitation of technology, Rural Economy development, Producer collaboration facilitation, Enhansing customer confidence and business performance, innovation in the supply chain and technical excellence support. Pack house and distribution centre development. Training in Stock Management and Control, reconciliation of inputs / outputs, traceability, HACCP within crop production, harvest and post harvest practices.

UK and International experience.


 

 
   

ANDREW CHARLTON                                    Contact Andrew Charlton

Qualifications: BSc (Hons) Agriculture, Msc (In-progress)

Competencies: Business planning and strategic management review, change management, financial analysis and budgeting. Read meat production performance benchmarking, Salad, veg and root crop performance benchmarking. Creation of business plans and applications, business structure development. RDA grant apploications, supply chain development to help open new market opportunities, local food and supply chain development.


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

GABRIELLE LANCELEY                             Contact Gabrielle Lanceley

Qualifications: MSc Food Analysis & Composition, BSc Hons Food Technology, Defra-approved Organic Food Processing Inspector, ISO 9000 Lead Auditor, I.E.H.O.Advanced Food Hygiene Cert. German, French, Spanish and Italian spoken (with varying degrees of fluency)

Competencies:  Systems and/or training for large and small food processors in the following areas:-

Food safety, quality, organic certification (EU, NOP, IFOAM), HACCP, audits, importing, specifications, labelling (including nutritional declarations), microbiology, hygiene, pest control, food service, product development, marketing, animal feed and seed processing, on-farm processing.

UK and International experience.


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

ANDREW TRUMP                                                Contact Andrew Trump

Qualifications:  BSc  Agricultural Business Management 

Competencies: Market development. Post harvest marketing and crop handling. Business planning and strategic management review, change management, financial analysis and budgeting, training. Creation of business plans and applications. Supply chain development to help open new market opportunities, local food and supply chain development. Arable and root crop production. Organic beef production, business planning and management, financial analysis, training.

UK and International experience.


 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOIS PHILIPPS                                                         Contact Lois Philipps

Qualifications:  BSc (Hons), MI,Soil Sci, C.Sci

Competencies: Soil Water and Nutrient management. Organic grassland systems. Organic poultry enterprise development and management. Design and management of ‘Silvo-poultry agroforestry system’ . Environmental benchmarking. Development, implementation, monitoring and reporting of on-farm and commercial research programmes. Research funding. Development of training programmes and linkages into European networks. Farm energy resource audits. Equine business operation on organic farms. Organic certification, business planning and management, financial analysis, training.

UK and International experience.

Trustee and Honorary Secretary of the British Grassland Society, Member of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists, Member of the British Society of Soil Science

Member of the Charter Institute of Scientists     , Member of ISOFAR, Co-Founder of the UK Colloquium of Organic Researchers (COR)


 

 
   

LYNN BRIGGS                                                          Contact Lynn Briggs

Qualifications: BSc, MSc – Agriculture and Soil Science

Competencies: Lead Auditor qualified. Registered Defra Organic Inspector. Project management, Audit system development and implementation, Business planning and strategic management review, change management, benchmarking using diagnostic tools and on-going business support to achieve business improvement. Supply chain development to help open new market opportunities, local food and supply chain development. Training programme development and delivery.

UK and International experience.


 

ANDREW HEAD                                                         Contact Andrew Head

 

 

 

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