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Farm Business Reviews

In an era of shrinking support and growing uncertainty, taking a close look at your farm’s performance has never been more important. Our Farm Business Reviews provide practical, no-cost support to help you understand where your business stands and where it is heading. We have delivered nearly 600 Farm Business Reviews under Defra’s Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) initiative with improvement opportunities averaging at £56,000 per farm identified.

Here’s how we can help you:

Detailed business review

We analyse your farm’s performance against sector benchmarks, highlight strengths and opportunities, and help you refine your objectives.


One-to-one consultant visit

You’ll meet face to face with a specialist who understands the realities of UK farming and the sector in which you operate.


Tailored action plan and report

We provide a clear summary of findings, recommended actions, and financial forecasts that support informed decision-making.


Follow-up session

After implementing advice, we meet again to review progress and next steps.



Why reviews matter to your farm?

Understand your position

You’ll get a clear and impartial appraisal of your business compared with others in the region.


Plan with purpose

We help you to set realistic targets and identify the key levers to build resilience and efficiency.


Support for real change

We don’t just point out what needs doing, we give you practical steps and revisit your business with you to assess progress.



Areas that our Farm Business Reviews cover

Areas that our Farm Business Reviews cover

  •       Future business planning
  •       Joint Ventures
  •       Debt Re-Structuring
  •       Feasibility Studies
  •       Analysis of Capital Investment and Future Funding
  •       Forward Budgeting and Cashflow Management
  •       Diversification
  •       Tenancy Help
  •       Anything else which is affecting farm business performance

What to do next?

If you want a clearer picture of your farm’s performance, identify tangible improvement opportunities and a trusted plan to bolster profitability, please contact us today for a no-obligation chat about your farm and whether a Farm Business Review is right for you.

grass border with a chicken and cow sillouette

Key Contacts

Joe Scarratt

Partner & Head of Farm Business Consultancy

Qualifications & Experience
  • 2018 to date - Head of Farm Consultancy at The Andersons Centre
  • 2018 to date - Partner of The Andersons Centre
  • 2009 - 2018 – Business Consultant at The Andersons Centre
  • Delivers business advice to a wide range of farming businesses, focusing on the arable and dairy sectors
  • Oversees the operation of a number of Contract Farming Agreements across all sectors
  • Approved deliverer under DEFRA’s Farming Advice Service delivering group advice to farmers and agricultural professionals
  • Approved deliverer under the Welsh Assembly’s Farming Connect Scheme, delivering advice to farmers across Wales
  • Undertakes commissioned research projects
  • 2005 - 2009 – Harper Adams University College. First Class BSc Hons Business Management with Marketing. The course focused upon the agri-food industry
  • 2000 to Present – Working in and developing the family farming business. The farm is predominantly arable with a small beef enterprise
Areas of Expertise
  • Farming Joint Ventures and Contract Farming
  • Farm Business Management
  • Technical Farm Business Advice
  • Farm Strategy and Succession Planning
  • Farm Investment Appraisals and Loan Applications
  • Farm and Rural Grant Applications
  • Farm Business Tenancies
  • Farm Business Administration
  • Farming Connect (FC) accredited

Oliver Hall

Partner & Senior Farm Business Consultant

Qualifications & Experience
  • 2021 - Partner, The Andersons Centre
  • 2017- Senior Farm business consultant, The Andersons Centre
  • 2014 –ILM- Lean Management In Dairy Farming
  • 2010 - Co founder of Evolution Farming – Multi Site Pasture based dairy business
  • 2009-2010 – Farm business consultant, The Andersons Centre
  • 2008- Family farming partnership, West Yorkshire
  • 2005-2008 – The Royal Agricultural College – Bsc (Hons) Agriculture
Areas of Expertise
  • Farming Joint Ventures, Contract Farming and Share Farming
  • Farm Business Management and budgeting
  • Farm Strategy and Succession Planning
  • Farm Investment Appraisals and Loan Applications
  • Grassland management
  • Practical knowledge of farm management

Anna Bowen

Farm Business Consultant

Qualifications & Experience
  • February 2022 to Present Day – Farm Business Consultant at The Andersons Centre
  • Previously worked as a farm business consultant in West Wales
  • Contract farms a 300- cow spring block calving herd in Ceredigion
  • FACTS qualified
  • RoMS accredited mobility scorer
  • Approved Mastitis Control Plan and QuarterPro deliverer
  • 2021 Nuffield Scholar- “Can the UK improve the ethics of its dairy calf management whilst retaining profitability?”
  • 2019 Entrepreneurs in Dairying course
  • 2017 Richard John Memorial Trust Scholarship, studied the sustainability of the Australian dairy industry
  • 2016 MSc Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security (Royal Agricultural College)
  • 2014 BSc (Hons) International Equine and Agricultural Management (Royal Agricultural College)
  • Fluent Welsh speaker
Areas of Expertise
  • Farm business consultancy and budgeting
  • Business reviews and strategic planning
  • Practical experience of farm management
  • Dairy farming, particularly spring block calving
  • Nutrient management planning (Farming Connect approved)
  • Herd health

Edward Calcott

Farm Business Consultant

Qualifications & Experience
  • Joined The Andersons Centre in January 2019
  • BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Farm Business Management (2:1) Harper Adams University (2016 Graduate)
  • Part of the winning team for the Institute of Agricultural Management Farm Planner competition whilst at Harper Adams.
  • Placement year was spent with a large UK integrated poultry company. Time was spent on various breeder farms; the hatchery; and commercial farms for broiler chickens and turkeys.
  • Part of the 2017-18 NFU Poultry Industry Program (PIP).
  • A continued involvement with the mixed farming family business in Staffordshire. The farm enterprises include combinable crops, sucker cows, sheep and some agricultural contracting.
Areas of Expertise
  • Experience in most aspects of lowland agriculture including arable, beef, sheep, dairy and potatoes.
  • On-farm diversifications including direct sales; marketing and holiday lets.
  • Practical experience within the UK poultry sector, including layers, broilers, turkeys.
  • Business consultancy advice, budgeting and financial planning for agricultural, food and rural businesses.
  • Accounts analysis; investment appraisals; business reviews; strategic planning and enterprise costings.
  • Contract farming and joint ventures.
  • Practical knowledge of farm management.
  • BPS, grant applications and farm assurance.
  • Farming Connect (FC) accredited.

Amelia Rome

Farm Business Consultant

Qualifications & Experience
  • Joined The Andersons Centre in November 2020
  • BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Farm Business Management (2:1) Harper Adams University (2019 Graduate)
  • Placement year was spent with Andersons Northern in Edinburgh
  • Delegate at the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth 27th Agricultural Conference
  • A continued involvement with the family farm business in Cambridgeshire. The farm enterprises include combinable crops, sheep and beef
Areas of Expertise
  • Experience in most aspects of lowland agriculture, but specialising in arable systems
  • Practical knowledge of farm management
  • Farming Joint Ventures and Contract Farming
  • Technical Farm Business Advice
  • Farm Strategy and Succession Planning
  • Farm and Rural Grant Applications
  • Business consultancy advice, budgeting and financial planning for agricultural businesses
  • Accounts analysis; investment appraisals; business reviews; strategic planning and enterprise costings

Testimonials

"Having sought advice from various consultants, solicitors and accountants on general estate matters in the last few years, I can honestly say that I have found your advice the most valuable to me!"
John Knight - Farmer