Farming credentials

Paul Spackman

From a livestock family farming background in Hertfordshire, Paul was one of the first crop of students to obtain a BSc degree in Agriculture from Harper Adams, in 1985.  This was followed by 8 years with ADAS at Huntingdon, working as an arable adviser.  ADAS had become a universally respected organization offering informed, quality and impartial advice on every possible facet of agriculture.  It was renowned worldwide for providing its consultants with the very best training possible, based around the core values of objectivity, accuracy, humility, impartiality and integrity.  During his time at ADAS Paul obtained the BASIS and FACTS qualifications in support of wide-ranging agronomic services.

Following a short spell with a firm of land agents to learn about tenancy law and rent negotiation, Paul has worked an independent farm technical and business consultant for 18 years.  He has deliberately avoided specialism in order to become well informed on as many aspects of farming as possible.  His services range from technical through to financial and most areas between, including agronomic training, soil sampling, fertilizer and manure planning, crop assurance, farm insurance, valuations, farm business analysis, farm re-structuring, joint ventures, diversification, preparation of farm accounts, VAT analysis, grant and subsidy applications, lobbying the RPA, planning applications and stewardship-based conservation advice.

Keen to pursue his knowledge of farm business, Paul became a SFEDI-accredited business adviser in 2003 and is licenced by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a credit and debt counsellor.  He acts as an intermediary between farmers and the AMC.