New SOPA Member Services Staff Appointments

Jo Barron - When asked what organics and working for SOPA meant to her, Jo said:

“Having had a background in animal health and nutrition; behaviour and welfare; human health and nutrition, and more recently in practicing regenerative agriculture at home on the farm; I see Organic farming as a way of life, the next step to complete regenerative and sustainable agriculture.

I have a very holistic view of everything between the land and our body working in harmony to give us the most nutritious and healthy larder of food and therefore the healthiest, cleanest diet we can have. This should be the target way to farm for all of us in order to preserve our soils, encourage biodiversity back onto our land, limit illnesses/intolerances and allergies and reduce input costs of rising fertilizers and fuel.

I fully believe Organic farming is achievable for most systems and without it we will lose our rich and nutritious soils, resulting in poorer, lower quality food to feed our nations and risk more flooding. Shopping locally, reusing by products and reducing our output level will also result in less waste, lower carbon footprints, high animal welfare and support of a circular economy to make sure British farming is supported, along with tasty food. If we add renewable energy sources into the mix things get interesting and we can look at farmers being self-sufficient for energy with even lower carbon footprints”

Jo is a keen foodie, animal lover and a big outdoorsy type, with hobbies including walking, running, biking, gardening, keeping a veg patch, skiing, paddle boarding and generally keeping active, fit and healthy. She also teaches Pilates and has studied wellness and nutrition coaching.

Jo is currently studying at SRUC Craibstone for the Agricultural Professional Practice MSc including organic crop & grassland and organic livestock modules and is very much looking forward to meeting SOPA Members out on farms soon.”

Becky MacAngus joins SOPA as Member Service Co-ordinator – Comms Lead from the Net Zero Technology Centre.

With a background in marketing, project management, funding analytics and event management, Becky’s role at SOPA will be to coordinate and drive the communications, PR and marketing activity for the organisation both to members and to wider audiences.

We asked Becky what she thought about the importance of Organic farming in the future of agriculture, and she said “Organic farming must be at the forefront of agricultural practices in the future. We are pushing towards a Net Zero future with big targets set by governments around the world for all industries. The only way in which we will be able to achieve this is to produce food and other consumables in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way”.

Alongside office jobs Becky and husband Bruce, and their children (Harris and Pippa) farm approx. 100 acres in Maud, Aberdeenshire rearing pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle and a small flock of commercial ewes.  They run a very low input system, outwintering all their livestock on a regenerative system producing silage for winter feed without the need for fertilisers. Becky is hugely passionate about the future of Organic food production in Scotland and is looking forward to meeting the SOPA membership to develop her own knowledge alongside promoting the organisation and its Members.  

In her “spare time” Becky also trains and competes show horses at a local & national level and is on the committee for the North East Aberdeen Angus Cattle group.

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If you wish to contact either Jo or Becky please do so using their email addresses below and save these to your contacts list;

Jo Barron, Member Services Co-ordinator – Policy Lead: jo.barron@sopa.org.uk

Becky MacAngus, Member Services Co-ordinator - Comms Lead: becky.macangus@sopa.org.uk