Meet the team...
Jeremy
Farm partner & chief thistler
Jeremy set the farm off in a nature-friendly direction when he began the conversion to organic in the 1980’s. He continues to be motivated by all things ecological and is never happier than when out in the fields removing docks & thistles from our pastures.
James
Farm partner & manager
James grew up on the farm and is currently the head honcho - although it doesn’t always feel like it when he’s shovelling dung! He is deeply committed to making the farm and estate work for local people and for nature while striving to balance the books.
Vicky
Farm partner & dairy manager
As the most recent farm partner, Vicky is working hard to connect the farm to more customers in order to help it weather whatever storms may happen in the future. She is one of the two main points of contact for customers emailing the dairy.
Robert
Head stockman
Robert has worked at North Aston Farms for almost 30 years. A very experienced stockman with an encyclopaedic knowledge of the farm, he looks after the beef herd with James, does the lion’s share of the tractor work and is a great problem-solver of all things broken or troublesome around the farm – of which there are usually no shortage. He is also our Deddington milk delivery driver.
Nick
Trainee farm manager
Nick is spearheading our transition to regenerative farming. He has studied very extensively about regenerative grazing methods and has spent the last year gaining hands-on, practical farm management experience with us. He has a huge number of useful skills in woodwork, construction and IT and is willing to tackle almost any challenge. His super-powers are planning and organisation!
Graham
Having worked at North Aston Dairy for over ten years, Graham is the primary office contact for our dairy customers. He also keeps track of the complicated business of making sure we have enough milk for the customers and enough customers for the milk! He enjoys the variety of his work - from milking and monitoring the wellbeing of the cows to helping write the monthly newsletter and developing ice cream recipes.
Sasha
Sasha is our resident anthropologist. As well as milking the cows regularly, and helping with processing and the market occasionally, she somehow manages to find the time to study too! She recently wrote her Oxford University master's thesis about the dairy, which you can read here.
Will
Dairy assistant
Will has worked part time at North Aston Dairy for 4 years, milking, processing and delivering. Since beginning work at the dairy, he has become interested in all aspects of farming and has his own small flock of Cotswold sheep at home in Lower Heyford.
Jo
Dairy assistant
Queen of cakes and cleaning, Jo works with Vicky on Mondays, washing bottles, bottling milk and keeping the staff supplied with goodies. She also works at North Aston Organics in the veg box packhouse. However, her biggest passion is pickling and she's in the process of launching her own business!
Dairy assistant
Dairy foreman
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Dairy assistant
_____ is our newest member of staff, working four days a week washing bottles, and bottling milk, yoghurt and ice cream.
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We are currently hiring for this position - please email us for details and to apply!
Simon
Delivery driver
Simon is a local lad from a farming background who is our early bird delivery driver in the Astons and Duns Tew. He can sometimes be found making a fool of himself on stage with the Duns Tew Drama Group in their latest panto! But he makes up for it in the annual North Aston farm skittles competition and is the reigning champion!
Chris
Share farmer & contractor
Chris is first and foremost our friend and neighbour, running Fenemore Farms, just across the Deddington brook. However, for several years he has also been looking after the sheep flock in a share farming arrangement, as well as doing the majority of our arable farming as a contractor.
Bryan
Bryan is our longest-serving farm worker, having spent the past 50+ years here. Never happier than in the seat of a tractor, he remains unconvinced by organic farming and if he had his way would rip out all the hedgerows, plough up all the grassland and spray the whole farm with glyphosate. We are keeping him occupied with mowing, bale carting, and other odd jobs - until he sees the light!
Bill
Hedge layer
Our retired stockman and shepherd, Bill still contributes to the farm every year, by laying another few hundreds yards of hedge. And what a beautiful job he does! We are currently on the lookout for a young apprentice to work with him learning this valuable but endangered
traditional rural craft.
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Photo coming soon!
Pip, Monty and Luigi
Farm security
Our helpful hounds do their best to keep on top of the pheasant and rabbit population (with varying results) and alert us about uninvited visitors, while our cat Luigi provides crucial pest control in the farmyard.
They also make fabulous companions to cuddle with on the sofa after a long hard day.