James Sage, Hereford Cattle Society Chief Executive
James Sage has been appointed as the Hereford Cattle Society's first Chief Executive. James, who joins from organic certifiers, The Soil Association, said “I’m very much looking forward to joining the Society and working with the team at Hereford House, the Council and the breeders who are the heart of the breed. This is an exciting era within UK and global agriculture and I believe there will be a prominent role for the Hereford to play in post-Brexit UK agriculture. Capitalising on the breed’s many wonderful attributes to further develop sustainable profitable systems for farmers.”
James has worked within the agricultural and horticultural industries for nearly 20 years and will move from the Soil Association, where he was a Senior Inspector Manager. In this role James was responsible for a team of UK based office staff and remote workers, as well as contractors overseas and has seen him establish new partnerships with other Agri-food businesses. He also successfully identified new areas of business and marketed them to customers. Previously James worked for Defra where he was part of the Horticultural Marketing Inspectorate.
Hereford Society Chairman, Richard Mann, said “We are delighted to welcome James to the Society and his excellent background, coupled with his energy to work with the Council and breeders, will take the breed forward in the new and exciting times that are ahead of us.”
James was brought up on a mixed beef and sheep farm on the Mendip Hills. He also runs a small herd of pedigree pigs with which he has won a number of inter-breed titles and the “Pig of the Year” title in 2016. He now lives in Gloucestershire with his wife and family.