ADAS

Meet Andy Crockett, our new Associate Director of ADAS Archaeology! "Hello – my name is Andy Crockett, and I joined the ADAS archaeology team as an Associate Director in February this year, so still very much learning the ropes. I’ve been brought in to primarily help develop and grow our archaeological fieldwork business, to very much work alongside and compliment the very well-established and successful consultancy team. I’ve been working in archaeology literally from the day I left school, including studying Archaeological Sciences at University of Bradford. My career was solidly based in fieldwork to begin with, but by the turn of the millennium and with a young family to consider, I moved into project management, specialising in the management of major infrastructure projects (fieldwork and post-excavation). This culminated in being appointed as the Project Director for the A303 Stonehenge archaeology programme. Sadly, after over four years on this sensational project, the project was cut short and therefore I took the opportunity to join ADAS. As a professional archaeologist of over 40 years’ standing, primarily working in the commercial sector, I am keen to bring this wealth of experience, knowledge and, expertise to ADAS and add genuine value. Apart from the excitement and challenge of the new role, what I’m particularly enjoying at the moment is working with such a dynamic team, full of energy, an appetite for success and all the associated challenges that it brings, and happy to embrace change. Outside of work, I have three children, my pride and joy, two of whom have graduated, and my youngest son Alfie is in his first year at UWE. Alfie is autistic and has overcome incredible challenges just to get where he is today. In part because of Alfie’s courage, I have always been a passionate advocate for equality, diversity and, inclusion in the workplace. I love cooking, music and, watching films with my family. However, my abiding passion (and some might say curse) is supporting a lower league football club, Colchester United Football Club. It’s not just about the game itself, it’s really about the opportunities to connect with people on my away days, either fleetingly or permanently, that enrich our lives"

We’re pleased to be delivering the new ADOPT Fund on behalf of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), supporting farmer-led, collaborative on-farm trials and experiments. The first ADOPT funding opportunity will open on 28 April 2025 with two types of grants available depending on the needs of the farmer, putting them at the centre to ensure innovation is informed by those who know the land best. Designed to accelerate the adoption of innovation on-farm, this funding empowers farmers to work together to tackle shared challenges, trial new practices, and unlock practical solutions grounded in real-world farming. To help farmers understand more about ADOPT, connect with experts, access funding and make on-farm trials a success, a Support Hub is available, delivered by ADAS, UK Agri-Tech Centre and the Soil Association. Find out more here: https://ow.ly/5e9z50VAeuA

My recent article in Farmers Guardian looks at the technical and strategic adjustments we need to make as erratic weather patterns become the new normal. Drawing on both my consultancy work with ADAS and practical experience running a farm on Anglesey, I’ve outlined infrastructure priorities that can build resilience—from improved livestock housing and water storage to slurry management and drainage system upgrades. The key message? Investment in infrastructure isn’t just a short-term fix—it’s essential for long-term viability, compliance, and efficiency. 📌 Topics covered: • Ventilation design for extended housing periods • Efficient feed and forage storage solutions • Rainwater harvesting and treatment • Slurry storage and nutrient management • Drainage system renewal • Collaborative pathways to access support and funding Would be great to hear how others are tackling these issues - what innovations or strategies are proving effective on your farm? 📖 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eR8JVMXE #Agriculture #FarmResilience #SustainableFarming #ClimateAdaptation #Livestock #AgInfrastructure #FarmingUK

📢 Coming soon! A new rapid molecular test for tackling herbicide-resistant weeds 🌿🌾 Following on from our announcement in January of the first confirmed UK case of a glyphosate-resistant Italian ryegrass population, ADAS weed scientists are developing a new cost-effective, rapid molecular test for quickly detecting herbicide resistance in broad-leaved weeds like poppy, mayweed, and groundsel 🌱🧬     ADAS weed science consultant Katy Hebditch leading the work explained to Farmers Weekly that the new test will allow agronomists or growers to walk crops after a spring ALS herbicide application, snip off the leaves of any surviving weeds, dry them out, and send to ADAS for testing 📨 “We would then take the leaves, extract the DNA, send it off for sequencing, looking for the presence of the genetic mutations that are behind ALS resistance. You’d see the results within a few weeks, compared with up to a year with a standard glasshouse test.” ⏱️ Using this method to assess resistance in poppies is currently being validated, with the hope other species including chickweed, mayweed, groundsel, and fat hen, will be added soon. Watch this space for further updates! 👀 Read the full story - https://lnkd.in/ej89YMZm #herbicideresistance #weeds #weedscience #dna #biotechnology

We'd like to extend a big welcome to Monika Szafraniec who joins us as a Graduate Climate & Sustainability Consultant after successfully completing the RSK Group Graduate Scheme 👏👏 Congratulations Monika! We're delighted to have you as part of the team.

Our team are well and truly up and down the country today! ⭐ First up we've got Ellen surveying up in John o'Groats, what a fantastic sunset she managed to capture last night from the very northern tip of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Secondly, Arno is out on the Stour Valley section of the Balfour Beatty plc BTNO project, currently surveying a woodland ride between agricultural land and meeting the locals 🐄 Finally, Tiara is in Chichester on a survey through agricultural fields for a cable route on behalf of Clancy 🌳

Huge congratulations to Evan Williams who has been promoted to Senior Planning Consultant at ADAS Planning! 👏 Evan works on a variety of projects across the UK, focusing predominantly on plans for solar and battery storage developers. His work also entails undertaking work on residential applications and strategic promotions on behalf of internal and external developers ☀️

🔎 Are you looking for an exciting, varied outdoor role with excellent progression opportunities? Good news – ADAS is hiring 🙋♂️🙋♀️ We currently have a wide range of full-time agricultural vacancies that offer regular training, mentorship, and flexible benefits 👷♀️👩💻 Click the links below to find out more and apply ⬇️ 📍 Agricultural Soil Surveyor/Consultant (Remote) - https://lnkd.in/eNGgVv7T 📍 Agriculture & Farm Infrastructure & Engineering Consultant (Remote) - https://lnkd.in/eCxVUbwu 📍 Field Research Scientist (Nottinghamshire) - https://lnkd.in/e7pkAhQZ 📍 Agribusiness Consultant (Hybrid) - https://lnkd.in/eudj4xw7 #remoteworking #agriculturaljobs #britishfarming #sustainablefarming Jackie Evans

CBA Wessex/ADAS Environmental Archaeology Study Day March 2025 ⭐ Regarding many of the services that ADAS undertakes, Archaeology is unusual. With a long history of local amateur involvement and public interest, there has always been a demand by an enthusiastic wide-ranging audience for opportunities to take part, receive training, learning new skills and hear about discoveries within their area 🔎 ADAS Archaeologist Andrew Manning, based in Romsey, has for many years been part of The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and it's regional branch, CBA Wessex. CBA is one of the national bodies, which works to provide members and the wider public with opportunities to explore our rich archaeological heritage. CBA Wessex runs a programme of walks, site visits, talks and conferences and even study days, where for a small cost, people of all ages and walks of life can meet with experts in their field in a fun and friendly environment 📚 Last month, Andy ran and supervised the first CBA Wessex Study Day of 2025, an Environmental Archaeology day with Dr. Mike Allen, at his lab in Codford, with 18 members of the public attending. Mike is one of the country’s leading environmental archaeologists, with over 35 years of experience working on many of the significant sites in the country, including the Stonehenge and Avebury landscapes. The day covered a wide range of topics from how soils develop, taking and assessing soil samples, the value of snail and charcoal/seed/pollen identification and how this reveals secrets about our ancient ancestors and what they got up to 🐌 A full range of activities are available on the CBA Website 👇 https://lnkd.in/e9NdpMui For those interested in taking part in future events, please contact Andy at Andrew.Manning@adas.co.uk

🚀 Exciting News! 🚀  We’re delighted to announce that ADAS Rural and RSK Consents Solutions are joining ADAS Land to create a dedicated land consultancy and access specialist business. This move brings together our combined expertise under the well-established ADAS Land brand, strengthening our ability to support clients with seamless land access solutions, expert advice, and enhanced service delivery. As part of the RSK Group family, our commitment to our clients remains our top priority, and we’re excited about the new opportunities this brings for collaboration and growth. We’d love to connect—if you have any questions or want to learn more about what this means for you, feel free to reach out! 🔔 Follow ADAS Land for updates and insights. #RSKFamily #ADASLand #Collaboration #Partnership #LandConsultancy