Passionate, pioneering people
At Dyson Farming we’re proud of our people. Across the business, we employ over 180 men and women, whose knowledge, expertise and dedication fuels our commitment to being a force for good in farming.
Fairness and inclusivity are at the heart of our conduct as we strive to be a progressive employer, offering employees the opportunity to thrive in their careers.
There’s a wide variety of jobs at Dyson Farming and to recognise our great people, this International Women’s Day, we speak to four women about their roles in the business.
Lucy Farrow, Spray Operator
Lucy is a Spray Operator, based in Carrington, working across the Lincolnshire Estate. The daughter of a farmer herself, at university she studied to become a teacher, but decided to work whilst considering further study options. She started as a farm worker four years ago and achieved her spray tickets last year.
“It’s one big family, we work hard and have a laugh. Everyone shares the same passion for farming.”
To begin each day, Lucy speaks to the Head of Harvesting to make a plan of what’s needed. Crop protection is an area of the business where innovation and technology have a vital role. Dyson Farming uses precision spraying technology, which means herbicides can be applied when weeds are identified. Mitigating the need to spray across entire fields.
The role requires real attention to detail, sometimes working alone or with a wider team depending on what’s needed. Lucy is also trained in pea harvesting and drilling.
“The best part of my job is that I’m entrusted with a lot of responsibility and I know that makes a real difference in supporting the Farm Manager and wider team.”
Joanna Knight, Estate Surveyor
Joanna knew early on that she wanted to work in Estate Management after graduating from Harper Adams with a degree in Rural Enterprise & Land Management.
Following graduation, Joanna worked for five years as Rural Surveyor on the Holkham Estate in Norfolk. Having relocated to Lincolnshire, Joanna joined Dyson Farming in 2016.
She manages all areas of the estate’s assets, predominantly commercial property as well as some support for the business’ residential offering. There’s a strong focus on natural capital and effective planning for the future, in order to stay ahead of the curve.
Joanna works directly with the property team and Dyson Farming’s enviromment coordinator. Her remit crosses all parts of the business, with a focus on environmental management, grant applications, natural capital and carbon accounting. She also manages other aspects of the business including the insurance portfolio. Joanna also works with Green Crop Information, the research arm of Dyson Farming, aiding with presentations and Dyson Farming’s perspective on natural land.
There’s huge diversity, citing the best part of her role being part of a business, getting to fully understand it and helping it to develop over time.
“It’s a privilege to work for a business that wants to be a force for good for agriculture. It makes me feel that my contribution also makes a difference”
Joanna is a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and a fellow of The Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (CAAV). She’s also recently completed Dyson Farming’s Management Development Scheme.
Lucie Redwood, Trainee Glasshouse Manager
Lucie grew up on a local arable farm and studied Agriculture at Newcastle University. She joined Dyson Farming in 2018 as a seasonal worker, but loved the company and stayed well beyond her original 6-month contract.
At the glasshouse, technology is at the forefront of everything. Lucie runs the weekly payroll which uses the Priva FS Labour System. She downloads reports from the glasshouse computer so there are no paper timesheets. Staff all have personal devices that scan to clock-in and out for the day as well as every task in between. They are also used to record their picking speed and yield in harvest.
“The biologicals in the glasshouse are also fascinating. Particularly the bees, but equally the pest control bios; spreading tiny insects around the glasshouse which can dramatically cut pesticide rates by over 80%.”
This month Lucie’s moving into a new role as Sales and Trials Coordinator in the glasshouse, where she will be responsible for communicating strawberry orders between customers and the glasshouse team, coordinating stock, picking forecasts, and daily management of the plant trials area.
“I love puzzle-solving, so I enjoy it most when staff or colleagues come to me with an issue which I can then work out – especially if that means building an app or learning new software. The supply of beautiful strawberries is a bonus!”
Lucinda Smith, Agronomist
Lucinda went to Riseholme Agricultural College, during which time she had work experience on a farm carrying out quality control of potatoes.
Previous to beginning her career at Dyson Farming, Lucinda worked as a trainee agronomist and then distribution agronomist at ProCam (Agronomy and Crop Production advice and services.)
As part of the agronomy team, Lucinda spends the majority of her time field walking, inspecting crops, she then generates a report with a recommendation of her findings to the farm teams for crop management.
“The best part of my job is getting to be outside and meeting new people. Dyson Farming is an impressive business to work for.”
If you’re interested in finding out more about careers at Dyson Farming, check out our current vacancies.
The Estate Office,
Cyclone Way, Nocton,
Lincoln LN4 2GR