Phil Stocker
2024
Phil joined the National Sheep Association (NSA) as Chief Executive in 2011, after 15 years leading the Soil Associations support work for its organic farmer and grower members. Phil has 25 years of livestock and arable farming under his belt, managing several large sheep flocks including Cambridge, Lleyns, Mules, and Beulahs. In his role with the NSA he is committed to the Association being recognised as the focal point for UK grassroots sheep farming issues. Looking outwards he is passionate that sheep be recognised for the positive and holistic role they play in uplands and lowlands, and keen that sheep farming finds a way to maintain its tradition and culture while making health, nutritional, and technical advances to meet future challenges and opportunities.
My Sessions
Return of the Golden Hoof
When people talk about bringing grassland and sheep back onto arable land, you often hear older generation shepherds use the phrase ‘the golden hoof’. It used to be commonplace for sheep to be considered useful on arable farms. Fast forward to now, and specialist arable and cropping farmers are recognising the need to improve soil […]
Beneficial Role of Trees in Sheep Farms
Join Phil Stocker, Chief Executive of the National Sheep Association (NSA), Helen Chesshire, Lead Farming Advocate at the Woodland Trust, and Mike Adams, sheep farmer and recent agroforestry adopter for a lively discussion on the complimentary role of trees in sheep farming. Building on the joint NSA and WT report produced in 2018, hear how […]