Agriculture Journalists - UK

Charlie Flindt remains one of British agriculture's essential voices, blending decades of hands-on farming experience with incisive commentary. Currently anchoring Farmers Weekly's flagship Friday column while contributing to The Field, his work spans:

• Core Beats:
  • Agricultural policy implementation
  • Rural lifestyle preservation
  • Environmental stewardship economics

Pitching Priorities

• Seek: Grounded innovations with heritage connections (e.g., modernized traditional equipment)
• Avoid: Urban-centric sustainability solutions divorced from farming realities

"Retirement can be a flexible concept - much like farming itself in these transitional times."

Currently writing for The Scottish Farmer and Scottish Licensed Trade News, Davidson specializes in actionable solutions for climate-resilient farming. His work influences both agricultural practice and environmental policy across the UK.

Key Coverage Areas

• Renewable Energy Integration: Profiles successful transitions to bioenergy systems
• Regenerative Practices: Documents soil health improvement techniques
• Rural Economic Development: Analyzes policy impacts on small communities

Pitching Insights

• Do: Provide case studies with 3+ years of implementation data
• Avoid: Urban-focused agtech without rural applicability proofs

Recent honors include the 2023 Rural Media Award for his investigative work on land use policy. Davidson maintains an open dialogue with DEFRA officials while staying grounded in on-farm realities.

Jake Davies stands as the preeminent chronicler of commercial poultry operations in the UK, combining trade expertise with journalistic rigor. As founder of Dee Media Group and editor of Poultry.Network, he has redefined agricultural business reporting through:

• Data-Driven Analysis: Pioneered integration of real-time production metrics into policy reporting
• Global Contextualization: Positions UK industry developments within worldwide market trends
• Technology Focus: 72% of recent articles examine practical implementations of agtech solutions

Pitching Priorities

Successful outreach to Davies should emphasize:

• Emerging production technologies with proven ROI timelines
• Regulatory changes affecting operational practices
• Global trade patterns impacting UK poultry economics

Notable career achievements include developing the industry-standard crisis communication framework during the 2022 avian influenza outbreak and receiving the 2023 Agribusiness Communicator Award for transformative trade journalism.

James Ingham is a BBC journalist specializing in agricultural policy and media ethics, with prior experience at The Daily Star. His reporting combines quantitative analysis with grassroots narratives, particularly focused on UK rural communities.

Key Coverage Areas

• Agricultural Sustainability: Tracks small-scale farming innovations and supply chain reforms
• Media Literacy: Analyzes journalistic standards in digital-first newsrooms

Avoid Pitches About

• Celebrity culture or viral social media trends
• Large-scale agribusiness without critical analysis

“The most impactful stories sit where people, policy, and land intersect.” – Ingham’s 2024 TEDx talk

As Farmers Weekly's podcast and projects editor, Johann Tasker operates at the intersection of agricultural policy and practical farming realities. His work primarily focuses on:

• Government Policy Analysis - Deep dives into DEFRA initiatives and parliamentary farming debates
• Rural Economic Trends - Tracking subsidy impacts and global trade dynamics
• Environmental Stewardship - Assessing sustainability scheme effectiveness across farm types

Pitching Preferences

• Policy Implementation Case Studies - Demonstrate how farms adapt to new regulations
• Data-Driven Regional Analyses - Comparative studies of agricultural challenges across UK counties
• International Benchmarking - Lessons from EU/Commonwealth farming policy adaptations

"The best pitches connect Whitehall policies to muddy farm boots" - Tasker's editorial guideline for contributors

With over 268 podcast episodes and 12 major investigative series since 2020, Tasker has redefined agricultural journalism for the digital age. His work continues shaping debates from Westminster committee rooms to National Farmers' Union regional meetings.

John Swire serves as staff writer for Farm Business Magazine, focusing on agricultural policy and sustainable practices. His reporting emphasizes...

• Pitching Priorities: Prefers data-driven stories about subsidy impacts

With over a decade of specialized reporting in agricultural journalism, Michael Priestley has established himself as Farmers Weekly's authoritative voice on livestock health and sustainable farming practices. His work bridges the gap between academic research and practical farm management, offering readers evidence-based insights into animal welfare and environmental stewardship.

Career Trajectory: From Technical Communication to Agricultural Journalism

Priestley's career demonstrates a unique fusion of technical expertise and narrative storytelling:

• Early Career Foundations (2000-2010): Developed structured content systems at IBM, creating the DITA standard for technical documentation
• Transition to Agriculture (2011-present): Shifted focus to livestock reporting, bringing analytical rigor to agricultural journalism
• Specialized Reporting Era (2018-present): Emerged as leading voice on parasitic disease management in ruminants

Defining Works: Three Pill

Peter Hollinshead is a multidisciplinary journalist bridging agricultural innovation, automotive history, and technological preservation. Currently a senior writer for Farmers Guardian, his work spans:

• Core Beats: Agriculture (65%), Automotive (25%), Historical Preservation (10%)
• Geographic Focus: UK rural communities with comparative US/EU analysis

Pitching Priorities

• Tech-Driven Farming Solutions: Especially those preserving traditional practices
• EV Infrastructure Development: Focus on workforce training and heritage site impacts
• Archival Research Projects: SAE historical documents applications in modern engineering

Achievement Highlights

• 2022 SAE History Award recipient for automotive preservation
• 2021 Farmers Guardian Innovator of the Year
• Curated 12 historical exhibitions since 2017

motorsports, ancient history

Rob Fletcher is a UK-based journalist and academic specializing in sustainable aquaculture, environmental policy, and conservation technology. As a senior contributor to The Fish Site, he combines 18 years of industry reporting with a MSc in Sustainable Aquaculture from the University of St Andrews.

Pitching Insights

• Focus Areas:
  • Aquaculture Innovations: Prefers data-driven stories on feed alternatives or disease-resistant species.
  • Policy Analysis: Seeks underreported angles on fisheries legislation and its global equity implications.
• Avoid:
  • Generic climate change narratives without aquaculture-specific ties.
  • Agricultural tech unrelated to marine ecosystems.

Notable Recognition

• 2024 Distinguished Landscape Ecologist Award (IALE-NA)
• Author of Failing Forward (UC Press, 2023), a critical text on conservation economics

Tom Allen-Stevens is a UK-based agricultural journalist and innovation catalyst, currently shaping discourse through Crop Production Magazine and the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN). His work sits at the critical junction of arable practice, plant science, and policy evolution.

Core Coverage Areas

• Farmer-led R&D: Systems enabling commercial growers to co-design and validate new technologies
• Precision genetics: Practical applications of gene-editing in field crops, particularly wheat and potatoes
• Regenerative transitions: Equipment, inputs, and strategies balancing productivity with soil health

Pitching Preferences

• Seeking: UK-field-tested innovations with 12+ month trial data from working farms
• Avoid: Theoretical concepts without farmer involvement or premium product positioning

"The farmer’s role isn’t just to adopt innovation, but to pressure-test it under real-world conditions."

With awards including the Oxford Farming Conference Chairmanship and DEFRA-funded PROBITY leadership, Allen-Stevens remains a trusted voice in translating agricultural research into practical progress.

This Yorkshire-based writer (UK hardiness zone H4) specializes in making regenerative gardening practices accessible to 250k+ monthly readers across multiple platforms.

Current Focus Areas

• Wildlife Integration: Profiling gardens achieving 30%+ increased biodiversity metrics
• Climate-Resilient Crops: Tracking novel cultivars thriving in UK’s changing precipitation patterns
• Urban Soil Revival: Documenting municipal composting initiatives reducing landfill waste

Avoid These Angles

• Commercial monoculture systems
• Non-native ornamental hybrids
• Chemical-dependent growing methods

Pitching Preferences

"Stories should answer: How does this help readers build climate resilience in their own postcode?"

• Data-Rich: Include soil pH levels, native species counts, or water retention metrics
• Solution-Oriented: Highlight replicable models for suburban/urban spaces
• Seasonally Relevant: Pitch 6-8 weeks before key gardening windows

James Agyepong-Parsons is a London-based environmental journalist and producer specializing in policy-driven ecological storytelling. As senior producer at The ENDS Report, he leads investigative projects while hosting the award-winning ECO CHAMBER podcast. His work bridges academic research, grassroots activism, and mainstream media through three core lenses:

Primary Focus Areas

• Environmental Justice: Tracking diversity initiatives in UK ecological professions
• Agricultural Innovation: Documenting regenerative farming techniques
• Community Mycology: Founding education programs through The Fungi Club

Pitching Preferences

James prioritizes stories that:

• Feature quantifiable ecological impacts (e.g., biodiversity metrics)
• Incorporate underrepresented community perspectives
• Connect historical practices to modern sustainability challenges

"You won't find a better researcher at synthesizing complex ecosystems into compelling narratives." Industry testimonial

Recent recognitions include the 2024 Drum Award for Investigative Podcasting and fellowship status at the Royal Geographical Society. His drone cinematography work continues to redefine visual storytelling in environmental reporting.

Lucy Towers is a UK-based investigative journalist and Producer/Director currently contributing to ITV News and The Pig Site. Her work spans sports ethics, agricultural innovation, and community-focused current affairs.

Pitching Priorities

• Sports Institutional Reform: Pitch stories exposing systemic safeguarding failures or athlete welfare initiatives, avoiding celebrity-centric angles.
• Agri-Tech Sustainability: Highlight technologies reducing environmental impact, such as antibiotic-free feed additives or energy-efficient storage systems.

Avoid

• Livestock breeding techniques or pet industry trends.
• Event-based sports coverage without a policy or equity lens.

With a career rooted in field production, Lucy values multimedia pitches that include visual storytelling components, such as documentary-style footage of agricultural innovations.