Landmark 2016

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ALUMNI PROFILES
Name: Tom Allen-Stevens
Course: One Year Farming (1993) and Advanced Farm Management
Class of: 1996
PROFILE
Tom Allen-Stevens was studying civil
engineering when he realised that he
wanted to be a farmer. “Growing up
on the family farm in Oxfordshire, farming
never seemed like an attractive career path.
It wasn’t until I was working on our 170ha
arable farm during my university holidays
that I started coming round to the idea.”
Tom decided to leave engineering behind
and enrolled on to the One Year Farming
course at the Royal Agricultural University.
“At first, I just wanted to develop the
skills and knowledge to become a Farm
Manager – but I soon realised what
an incredibly diverse industry farming
is. Cirencester opened my eyes to my
own abilities and how I could apply
these outside of the family farm.”
His deep-rooted passion for agriculture,
coupled with his natural flair for writing,
saw him land a job as a Technical Writer
for Crops Magazine, part of the Farmers
Weekly Group, in 1999. “The move into
agricultural journalism was the best I
ever made – I often joke that it’s easier
to write about doing it right than actually
doing it right! I’ve been privileged to visit
the most innovative farmers, interview
the most fascinating scientists, and
pursue cutting-edge technologies.”
It wasn’t long until Tom was promoted
to Arable Editor for Farmers Weekly
Interactive, where he was
responsible for managing
the arable content on the
website and feeding arable
news through to Crops
Magazine and Farmers
Weekly. He left to join PR
company Mistral in 2004, and worked
with high-profile organisations such as
Agrii, the Royal Show, LEAF, and AHDB
Potatoes, to gain an insight into the ways
in which commercial companies get their
products and services in front of farmers.
After his stint in PR, Tom was keen to get
back into journalism. “I had developed
an interest in sponsored editorial, and
decided to set up my own technical
communications company in 2009 – which
is still going strong. I write technical copy
that aligns commercial interests with that
of the reader.” Meanwhile, he also leapt
at the chance to manage Open Farm
Sundays. “I’d always been concerned
about the disconnect between the farmer
and the consumer, so it was a privilege to
work alongside farmers who have done
truly inspirational work bringing the public
onto their farms. Thanks to them, there’s
much more understanding and respect for
farmers than when I started in the 1990s.”
In 2011, Tom was offered the position
of Editor at Crop Production Magazine.
“As Editor, I spend a lot of time talking to
people within the industry, that’s how you
find out where the stories are. I still get to
do a lot of writing, and the on-farm articles
give me a real buzz – there’s no better story
than a progressive and enthusiastic farmer.
I get the same tingle when I meet scientists,
there’s some really exciting research going
on in the UK – especially at Rothamsted
Research and the John Innes Centre.
Agricultural journalism plays a key role in
knowledge transfer, applying the latest
research to field practice, and I find it really
rewarding to be a part of that process.”
As if all of that didn’t keep Tom busy
enough, he also runs his own farm with
his wife, and is a Director of the Oxford
Farming Conference. “I’ve been to the
OFC every year since I left engineering
for farming, and was thrilled to be chosen
as a Director. There are nine of us on
the council, each serving a three-year
term. The highlight for me is organising
the Arable Conference at Cereals.”
Going forwards, Tom is optimistic about
unlocking the potential of the farming
industry. “It’s on the cusp of great
change, with huge leaps in science and
technology on the horizon. Communication
is a vital tool, and I’d like to see more
enthusiastic young people enter in to
agricultural journalism – if you’ve a love
of language, a passion for farming,
and a yearning to learn, there could be
no more rewarding career choice.”
An expert in his field, Tom Allen-Stevens
has received two Guild of Agricultural
Journalists awards; the Merial Business
Award and the Perkins Power on the Farm
Award, the British Society of Plant Breeders
award for Innovation and Plant Breeding,
and is a two time recipient of the Yara
Journalism Award for best arable article.
Award-winning journalist and Editor of Crop
Production Magazine , Tom Allen-Stevens was named a
Director of the prestigious Oxford Farming Conference
in 2016, and he’s more than up to the task.
A deep-rooted
passion