David farms south of Horsham in West Sussex with his wife and two sons over 1200 tenanted hectares in the heart of the Sussex Weald.

Starting in 1989 with 70ha the business now has arable, dairy beef, Sussex suckler herd and sheep enterprises. In 2003 the Farm Shop opened and sells a wide range of food from the Victorian stable yard at Westons.

He has served previously within the NFU as Branch Chair, West Sussex Council Delegate, South East Regional Chair as well as four years on Governance Board.  David was elected to the position of NFU Deputy President in February 2024 after serving two years as Vice President from February 2022.

Opening Keynote Address

After a long period of instability and low confidence the new government is in place and  the Budget announcement made, now is the time farmers need to take decisions and plan ahead. David will give his take on what this government means for arable farmers and how they can plan for the next decade.