Our Staff

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Nick Atkinson

Director

  • Nick began his career at South Farm in May 1977. In 1979, he attended Shuttleworth College, completing a farming course that strengthened both his practical expertise and technical understanding of the industry. By May 1982, Nick had taken on the role of Under Manager at Tom Parker Farms, working at Wallops Wood Farms, where he gained valuable leadership experience and broadened his operational knowledge. In October 1984, Nick travelled to Australia to expand his agricultural experience internationally. He returned to South Farm in May 1985 and has remained there ever since.

    Beyond his professional work, Nick has always been actively involved in his local community. He served as Chairman of Petersfield Young Farmers from 1980 to 1981, and later as Chairman of Petersfield Rugby Club from 1990 to 1991.

    Nick also has a deep passion for vintage machinery, proudly following in his father’s footsteps and preserving the heritage and craftsmanship of traditional agricultural equipment.

A man and a young child sitting inside a large green tractor, with the man smiling and the child looking surprised, both dressed in casual clothes and boots, with the tractor's front window and dashboard visible.

Matt Atkinson

Director

  • Matt began working on the family farm after leaving school at 16, building hands-on experience from an early age. In 1980, he completed a year at Sparsholt College, further developing his agricultural knowledge and practical skills. In 1985, Matt travelled to Australia to take part in the harvest season, broadening his experience and gaining valuable insight into large-scale farming operations overseas. He later successfully completed the prestigious John Edgar Trust Management Development Training Scheme in 1992. Over the years, Matt has continued to diversify and grow the business, including establishing the highly successful Matt’s Hog Roasts, which has become a popular addition to local events and celebrations. In 2025, Matt was appointed Chair of East Meon Parish Council, proudly following in the footsteps of his father, Michael, who served in the role for nearly nine years.

A man kneeling on the grass holding a sheared sheep, with four young lambs resting on the ground, in an open countryside landscape with cloudy skies.

  • Joe returned to South Farm in June 2022 following a successful ten-year professional rugby career. He graduated from Loughborough University in 2013 with a degree in Geography. Since returning to the farm, Joe has taken an active role in shaping its future. He has overseen the introduction of Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS), helping to integrate sustainable practices into the business. Working alongside his father, Matt, he manages the farm’s flock of sheep and plays a key role in day-to-day operations — particularly enjoying time in the combine harvester during the summer months.

Joe Atkinson

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Jack Atkinson

  • Jack completed his Agricultural Engineering course at Bicton College in 2016 and has since been working back at South Farm. Following in the footsteps of his dad, Nick, Jack travelled to Western Australia to work on a 20,000-acre farm during the combining season. The experience left a lasting impression, and he returned in 2019 to undertake contract harvesting across New South Wales and Victoria. In 2020, he further broadened his experience by harvesting pyrethrum in Tasmania. Back on South Farm, Jack plays a key role in day-to-day operations, spending much of his time operating the sprayer and combine.

A young man smiling and giving a thumbs-up in a barn with black calves, showing tags in their ears, standing on straw bedding.

  • Ed joined South Farm as an apprentice in 2019, completing his apprenticeship with Sparsholt College in 2021 before moving into a full-time role on the farm team. Since then, he has become the farm’s main tractor driver, playing a key part in day-to-day field operations. Ed is responsible for operating much of the farm’s heavy machinery and leads the drilling work in both Autumn and Spring, regularly pulling the Horsch Sprinter to establish crops efficiently and on time. His reliability and practical knowledge make him an important part of the farm’s arable operations. 

Ed Westlake

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  • Vanessa joined South Farm in March 2020 as our Farm Administrator. Although she had no direct experience of working in the industry, she spent many happy days on a sheep farm when she was a child, helping with the lambing and feeding the horses. Vanessa is an invaluable member of the team, helping to keep our accounts in order and taking control of the annual Red Tractor audit each year. 

Vanessa Street