The Team

agricultural sector. Following university James moved to Kent where he pursued a career in farm management and carried out the agronomy on the farms under his supervision. Neighbouring farmers soon asked him to oversee their agronomic requirements which facilitated James to become a full-time independent crop consultant covering a wide range of crops across the Southeast. James was awarded Food and Farming “Agronomist of the year” in 2022 and when he isn’t conducting his favourite hobby of crop walking, he enjoys his other passions of photography and watching rugby and cricket.

University and has worked as a gamekeeper and managed an arborist company before joining VCS. Outside of work, Paul enjoys fishing and shooting as well as spending time with friends, family, and his dogs.

Norwich she joined as a full-time member of staff in 2023. Jas worked within the trials department as a trials technician until April 2025 when she diversified to span across both the trials and agronomy departments. Jas helps to coordinate field trials in terms of data collection, analysis and reporting as well as assisting with agronomy recommendations. Alongside working at VCS, Jas is also obtaining her PhD, studying UK lettuce viruses. In her free time, Jas enjoys gardening, reading and paddleboarding.

garden centres, botanical gardens, and seed shops. Outside of work, Fiona enjoys gardening, cycling, walking, arts, crafts, and baking.

predominantly in arable farming, having worked for farms in Norfolk and Warwickshire. He has an interest in onions, carrots, parsnips, and arable crops and is developing his vegetable agronomy knowledge whilst continuing to push his technical arable agronomy. Sam moved to Norfolk after getting a degree in Agriculture from the University of Nottingham. Having put down roots with his wife and two dogs near Fakenham, Sam enjoys shooting, playing hocking and spending time with family and friends.

field trials to a GEP standard. As part of his role, Chris collaborates with agrochemical companies, plant breeders and start-ups to plan and execute field trials to the highest of standards. He is well equipped with knowledge regarding all aspects of field trials, especially drilling, cultivations, and harvest, as well as pesticide and herbicide applications. Chris is FACTS qualified and is particularly interested in outdoor vegetables and sugar beet production. Outside of work, Chris enjoys shooting, kayaking, and spending time with his wife and dogs.

studied the pathogens responsible for phoma stem canker and light leaf spot in oilseed rape. Since joining VCS, James has played a pivotal role in two Innovate UK-funded projects and is developing his agronomy portfolio by advising on niche crops such as lavender and hops. James is an ambassador for the British Society for Plant Pathology, a member of the Applied Plant Pathology group and the Norfolk iAgrM branch. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, wildlife photography and being by the coast.

joining VCS. Since then, he has specialised into a multitude of areas including independent advisory, post-harvest storage, farm input consultancy and supporting the integration of precision spraying technologies into the vegetable industry. Angus is a member of the vegetable consultant’s association and is eager to push sustainable crop production methods whilst driving the development of integrated pest management strategies. In his free time Angus is a keen country sportsman and likes to keep fit by circuit training, running and squash.

Writtle Agricultural College. He worked on the management team of a large-scale lettuce production business in Chichester and relocated to Norfolk in 2003 where he worked as a fresh produce crop consultant. He is a member of the vegetable consultant’s association and sits on the R&D committee for the British Carrot Growers Association. He consults on a variety of umbelliferyl and root vegetables in both organic and conventional systems across the UK and further afield. He has extensive experience with remote telemetry data systems, disease forecasting, soil moisture management and weather data systems. In his spare time, he enjoys countryside pursuits with his spaniel and coaching rugby.

combines an array of practical knowledge with a deep respect for the land sustainability and seasonal rhythms. Dan joined the VCS team in April 2025 and hopes to continue to build on his skill set by bringing a grounded, adaptable and knowledgeable approach to his work. In his spare time Dan enjoys cricket and shooting.

arable and horticultural sectors. Jane has worked in a diversity of agricultural roles starting as an arable agronomist before running the William Scott Abbot Trust Trials Centre. She then moved to Norfolk and worked in farm management IT before joining the fresh produce sector and specialising in onions, carrots, and parsnips. Alongside working with VCS, Jane also works with The English Set Company and is the secretary of the Vegetable Consultants Association.

in root vegetables with experience in brassica, salad, herb, and niche crops. Over his long-spanning career, Tom has serviced projects worldwide which has given him specialist knowledge in contrasting climates, soil types and production cultures. He has a passion for resolving production issues and developing opportunities for growers. Throughout his time as managing director of VCS, Tom help to build our specialist trials team that now leads industry near-market evaluation and specialist developments. Tom has also helped build numerous new enterprises and initiated key developments in machinery, seed treatments, novel techniques, and control systems. Tom also offers an expert witness service to support the industry and continues to support VCS with agronomy and development.