Richard Simpson – Development Director

B.Sc. Hons (Agric)

Richard has been with Kingshay since 1994 and is involved in all aspects of business management and development. He has a wide experience gained in consultancy, managing and running practical projects, IT projects, farmer surveys and desk studies; researching and writing technical reports and leading farmer discussion groups. His areas of expertise include farm business consultancy, farm business analysis & budgeting, extensive knowledge of dairy farming systems, key performance measures and keys to profitability & success as well as the ability to find & develop solutions e.g. applying the input requirements of a complex scientific model to practical farm situations that can be replicated from farm to farm.

Richard has been heavily involved in the designing, development, operation and promotion of the Dairy Manager herd costings service which is used by 2,000 dairy farms in the UK. Richard also has IT development and data analysis skills together with an in depth knowledge of on-farm Carbon Footprinting and evaluation of measures that can be taken to reduce emissions.

From a dairy farming background Richard, gained a BSc honours in Agriculture at Harper Adams and has practical experience managing cows on a day to day basis.

Sarah Bolt – Technical Knowledge Exchange Manager

B.Sc. (Agric), MSc Animal Behaviour

For almost three decades, Sarah has been working in the agricultural industry. Armed with a BSc in Agriculture from the prestigious University of London, she embarked on a journey that has seen her wear various hats in roles spanning technical sales, advisory positions, and a pursuit of the impact of knowledge exchange. Her mission? To inspire change on farms, motivating farmers to embrace a dynamic approach.

Venturing beyond traditional boundaries, Sarah delved into the world of Animal Behaviour, earning her MSc from the University of Exeter in 2014. Her passion for understanding more about the complexities of calf rearing led her to explore the effects of social contact on the health and production of dairy calves — in an endeavour to improve health and welfare on farm.

In 2017, Sarah's path led her to Kingshay, where she assumed the role of spearheading knowledge transfer to the membership. Charged with writing technical publications and navigating sometimes complex technical queries, she has become the cornerstone for disseminating critical information. Fuelling her thirst for knowledge, Sarah recently immersed herself in a course on Holistic Management, reinforcing her unwavering belief in the pivotal role of soils in shaping a profitable and sustainable future for the farming industry.

As one of the founding forces behind 'Women in Dairy,' she now helps to steers its course, assisting to orchestrate the annual conference, coaching facilitators, and propelling the organisation forward. Beyond her professional life, Sarah finds solace and inspiration in the great outdoors, whether tending to her garden or traversing the scenic footpaths of the Southwest.

In every step of her journey, Sarah hopes to sculpt a narrative of innovation, sustainability, and enduring passion.

Kathryn Rowland – Senior Farm Services Manager

B.Sc. Hons (Agric)

Kathryn joined Kingshay in 2002 after studying Agriculture at Seale Hayne, University of Plymouth. She carried out work experience as a placement student for Kingshay in 2001.

She now manages the Farm Services Team. A key part of her role is analysing key performance data and writing technical articles for publication. Kathryn co-ordinates the publication of Kingshay's Dairy Costings Focus Report, published annually. She also runs the Profit Manager service and business management training workshops.

She is involved in farm discussion group meetings where all costs of production are discussed in detail and benchmarked against full costs of production.

Felicity Gale – Farm Services Specialist

B.Sc. (Animal Science)

Felicity will be known to many of you as the main contact for any technical and customer service queries regarding your herd(s) and is responsible for the smooth running of our Dairy Manager costings service. Having joined the team in 2013, she now regularly analyses production results and industry trends for key clients.

Felicity is well qualified for the role having gained a BSc in Animal Science from Harper Adams and has worked on a diverse range of dairy farms in Australia and Canada.

Mary-Kate Foster – Farm Services Specialist

Mary-Kate joined the Dairy Manager team as Farm Services Specialist in April 2021 to help assist with any queries whilst sending out the reports and ensuring smooth running of the costings service.

Mary-Kate has a vast amount of farming experience, ranging from rearing her own calves, pigs and breeding sheep & most recently working as a milk recorder.

Outside of work, Mary-Kate has 3 young boys & 2 dogs that keep her busy. When she has any spare time from a busy family life, she enjoys a bit gardening & baking.

Christina Ford – Product Owner

BSc (Hons) Bioveterinary Science

Christina joined Kingshay in April 2019 to provide customer support and to progress the services we provide. She is now Product Owner for the DigiFarm development as well as being involved in many other projects including the antimicrobial work we do.

Christina grew up on a beef and pig farm in Somerset and studied Bioveterinary Science at Harper Adams. Before joining Kingshay, Christina worked as a pig nutritionist at ForFarmers, where she formulated unique diets and progressed a data analysis system to enable clearer access to data to help improve productivity on farm.

In her spare time, Christina can be found running around the hockey pitch, walking her dog Haze round the moors or with her few rare-breed sheep.

Sarah Tomlinson – Kingshay Veterinary Consultant

BVM&S MRCVS

As an experienced farm vet, Sarah has worked with a variety of dairy and suckler herds, together with sheep flocks in the East Midlands. Her role has required her to have excellent communication skills both on an individual level with farmers, speaking at public meetings, liaising with government and talking to industry stakeholders. During her career she has developed excellent working relationships with the NFU, CHeCS, BVA, BCVA, AHDB, DEFRA and APHA, as well as with individuals at Universities. It is through these connections that she has developed a keen interest in social science and farmer behaviour. Sarah is passionate about improving livestock welfare and productivity by reducing the risk and impact of endemic disease, particularly bovine TB.

Sarah has three children and two Labradors, and loves walking around our beautiful countryside. She is an active member in the local farming community. Sarah is a keen contributor on social media, championing British farming and the rural community. Reading has been a passion since childhood and devouring a book in one day is a rare luxury. She loves to cook, enjoy holidays by the seaside and various crafts but have yet to perfect most. More recently Sarah has developed an interest in politics.

Hannah Burns – Services Support & Marketing Co-ordinator

Hannah joined Kingshay in February 2023. She has 5 years’ experience in marketing that includes working in the retail, interior and education sectors and has also worked alongside Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York. Hannah is looking forward to learning more about farming and agriculture whilst at Kingshay.

Outside of work, Hannah loves to spend her weekends in the countryside with her husband, family and French Bulldog, Daisy-May.

Kate Butler – Development Projects Specialist

Kate joined the Kingshay team in August 2021 to help support the administration of the TB Advisory Service. She is now part of the Developments team at Kingshay as Development Projects Specialist and helps with many of the ongoing projects.

Kate has a range of agricultural experience from working on a family dairy farm and often helps with milking, calving and calf rearing. Kate is also an active member within both Women In Dairy and the National Federation of Young Farmers where she currently holds the position of Secretary for her local club.

In her free time Kate enjoys country walks with her dog called Pippa.

Emily Bunn – Project Coordinator

Molly Lee – Administration Assistant

Helen Frost – Finance and Administration Manager

MAAT

Emma Puddy – Farm Services Specialist

Kingshay members may remember Emma from her years in the Technical Team from 2013 to 2016, running trials and writing technical publications. She has had various roles in the meantime including Project Manager of a research project at the University of Bristol looking into antimicrobial resistance in the bacteria on dairy farms, running a mastitis vaccine trial, and teaching at Cannington College. Emma has a great love of spreadsheets that she brings to her work. She loves working with data and is involved in several projects at Kingshay including our antimicrobial reporting work. In her spare time, Emma is the current Chairman of Somerset Grassland society. She has been in the committee for several years and has a particular interest in the silage competition held each year.

Lucy Hicks

Lucy joined Kingshay in September 2024. She studied for 3 years to achieve her BA (hons) Graphic Media and Communications degree, in Taunton. Lucy has spent the last 7 years working in the retail sector, working from Team Member to Management and is keen to finally be putting her degree to good use. Lucy is looking forward to learning more about farming and agriculture whilst at Kingshay.

Outside of work, Lucy loves to spend her weekends riding her horse and socialising with friends.