Aloysia Daros FWAG SouthWest Trustee and Chartered Accountant Expand Aloysia is a qualified chartered accountant and chartered tax advisor. She has worked for Smith & Williamson for over 10 years specialising in tax advice to Farms and Landed Estates. She grew up in Devon on a small holding and is a keen horse rider.
Caroline Fowle FWAG SouthWest Trustee and Chairman of Kingfisher Award Scheme (KAS) Expand Caroline lives on a farm in East Devon that is mainly organic and has stewardship schemes in place. She has a particular interest in helping young people understand the connection between food, farming and wildlife and has been chairman of the Kingfisher Award Scheme (KAS) for over 10 years.
Dougal Hosford FWAG SouthWest Chairman and Dorset Farmer Expand Dougal Hosford is a second generation tenant farmer on the Bryanston Estate near Blandford in Dorset. The family have been farming there for nearly 60 years and Dougal has a particular interest in conservation, managing a large stewardship scheme on the farm in harmony with the 1650 acres of combinable crops, 200 breeding ewe flock and 60 head suckler herd. Several of the traditional farm buildings have been converted to light industrial and office lets. Dougal won the FWAG SW Barn Owl trophy in 2013 and was runner up in the Silver Lapwing in 2014.
Mark Pope FWAG SouthWest Trustee and NFU Environment Forum Chair and South West representative Expand Mark Pope is the NFU’s Environment Forum Chairman and farms 700 acres of arable land in the Blackdown AONB, Somerset. Mark recognises that the environment is key to farming’s productive potential. On his farm there are 48 km of field margins, providing habitat and food for birds and insects, and all watercourses are protected with 6m margins. He is an advocate for renewable heating and materials. Mark is also involved in hosting and arranging school visits to farms in the county and by the end of this year will have had over 2000 school children out on visits, showing how environment benefits can be integrated into and delivered on commercial farms.
Richard Appleton FWAG SouthWest Trustee and Retired NE Adviser Expand Richard spent over 40 years working as an agricultural consultant around the country, and specialised in agri-environment work for the last 20 years before retiring from Natural England in 2012. He has worked with FWAG for over 30 years and has been a Gloucestershire Steering Group member since 1994. Richard lives in Herefordshire and “keeps his feet on the ground” with a small sheep flock, a couple of horses and a small Perry Pear orchard.
Robert Jackson FWAG SouthWest Trustee and Gloucestershire Farmer Expand Robert has a mixed farm of nearly 500 acres on the Cotswolds above Cheltenham. The farm is a mix of 110 beef, 210 lambing sheep and 140 acres of arable with wheat, barley, oats and oilseed rape in the rotation. Robert has been interested in conservation since he joined the Young Farmers and now successfully manages an HLS/ELS scheme within the Cotswold Farmland Bird Project. He has been involved with FWAG for over 34 years, with roles including the Young Farmers representative, Treasurer and Chair of Gloucestershire FWAG.
Sarah Bird FWAG SouthWest Trustee and Duchy Assistant Land Steward Expand Sarah brings a varied and valuable knowledge base to FWAG SouthWest, her BSc Hons Natural Sciences from Cambridge University and MSc Rural Estate Management from Royal Agricultural University give her an in-depth understanding of environmental conservation and countryside management. She also has experience in advertising and is currently working for the Duchy as Assistant Land Steward for the Eastern district. This involves managing a number of Manors on a daily basis; anything from tree safety surveys and agricultural tenancy matters to sales of farms, cottages and land. Outside of work Sarah is a keen horse rider and owns two horses on which she competes in eventing and dressage.