After completing a degree at the Royal Agricultural College, Dan spent two years working on a number of farms around Australia before returning to the UK and joining the Velcourt Management Training Scheme in 1997 in Lincolnshire. Dan was appointed Farm Manager for a 300 hectare business growing combinable crops in East Kent in 1998.

In 1999 Dan was appointed Assistant Farm Manager on a business comprising 1,200 hectares in Northumberland. As well as growing combinable crops, the business also has a 90 hectare seed potato enterprise. In 2002 Dan was appointed Farms Manager and since this time the business has expanded to over 1,700 hectares.

Dan’s responsibilities include not only the day to day running of the farm business, but the marketing of seed potatoes, financial budgeting and strategic planning, the management of labour and machinery as well as the agronomy for the farm and advice on a further 500 hectares of crops locally through Velcourt’s agronomy service.