Jack has been Farm Manager at Mertoun Estate since 2015, living at Ploughlands with his wife Tora and children Dexter, Tessa and Morris. Mertoun farms around 4500 acres including two neighbouring contract farming agreements. Combinable crops, seed potatoes and vining peas for SBP (Scottish Borders Produce) make up the rotation.

Mertoun is entered into the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme where water courses are protected with 6m grass margins and stubbles are left over winter. Grass is let for grazing, livestock buildings let for cattle and pigs, and straw for muck agreements help take advantage of involving livestock within the arable system. Mertoun is very active with RHET and hosts school visits both on the farm and in the gardens.

Jack grew up in west Cornwall where farming is a big part of the community, along with fishing and tourism. From a young age, weekends and holidays were spent on the back of a potato harvester or driving a cauliflower rig. Despite not being from a farming family, agriculture was always Jack’s passion and career direction.

Jack went on to Harper Adams to do a degree in Agriculture with a placement year spent on a mixed livestock farm with a busy farm shop just off the M3 in Hampshire. Various lambing and harvest jobs during the holidays increased his experience and improved his CV. After Jack had completed his degree – and met his wife, Tora – the couple moved to Berwickshire in 2008 where he worked on an arable and beef farm.

In 2009 Jack found himself running the grain plant at Charterhall for the Co-op before starting their management trainee programme. Jack headed to Goole, east Yorkshire in 2010 and became farm manager on a 4000 acre estate for the Co-op growing cereals, potatoes and beetroot.