LJM Associates Ltd

I was really thrilled to be asked to join in conversation with Beverley Mullard for her Pasture Bedtime podcast. You can find it here.  We talk about food, farming and the 2026 OFC Report.   

  We often say we don’t have time, we can't find time, but time isn’t something you find, it’s a resource that you choose to give to certain tasks. If we aren't actively allocating our time and allowing others to do it for us then we lose the initative.  Every calendar reflects priorities, not constraints. Creating time means making deliberate choices: declining meetings that aren't necessary, delegating tasks, and protecting your time and your focus. Effective people don’t wait for space to appear in their diaries, they build space in.  

 As a trustee of the East Malling Trust it was good to visit Brogdale and the National Fruit Collection and find out more about the activities that take place there. Looking forward to finding out more.

  Our paper "Cutting-edge technologies for mitigating food waste in sustainable biohydrogen and high-value bioproduct innovation"- A comprehensive review has just been published in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy - do check it out

  Taking time is an act that carries quiet power of self-support. In a world that rewards activity, choosing to slow down for a moment can almost feel indulgent. Yet it’s in those unhurried moments, when you pause between tasks, breathe a little deeper, or simply sit without rushing to the next thing, life can become clearer.  When you take time, go for a short walk in nature or simply empty your head of all the noise you have absorbed, you begin to notice what usually slips past: your own thoughts, the rhythm of your day, the subtle shifts in how you feel.In that space, things settle. Priorities realign. What felt urgent often reveals itself as less important. Taking time isn’t about doing less; it’s about being more present in what you do. It’s a reminder that not everything meaningful happens quickly, and that sometimes, the best way forward is to pause for a moment before you step out from the kerb.

  White violets have a quiet understated kind of beauty and you can pass them by barely noticing them.  Unlike their brighter purple relatives, they whisper rather than shout, In a world that celebrates boldness and action, white violets remind us there is a strength in simplicity, not demanding attention but receiving it anyway from those who take the time to look around them.  

  It is so important to take a moment and breathe and look for what energises you... today it was the busy activity of the spiders in the field..

  Preparedness shouldn’t begin when something goes wrong. It should be embedded long before shocks, pressures and challenges appear. A culture of preparedness is built on proactive thinking, shared responsibility, and continuous learning. It moves organisations from reactive problem-solving to intentional proactive planning and agile delivery.   In prepared cultures, people ask:  What could go wrong?  What assumptions are we making?  What capabilities do we need to strengthen now?  Preparedness is not about control or concern, it’s about creating capacity. It’s about building robust processes, clear strategies and resilient systems. It's about developing people, and encouraging open conversations before challenges surface. Developing capacity and capability reduces dependency. Teams become more confident, more adaptable, and more self-sufficient. Regular reflection and renewal strengthen performance over time. A culture of psychological safety ensure...

  Really enjoyed the conversation with farmers last night at Herefordshire Grassland Society about the future for UK agriculture and their businesses - both concerns and opportunities. The talk was based on the findings from the the 2026  Oxford Farming Conference report .

  Louise Manning was quoted in the Hereford Times in an article on Herefordshire farmers engagement with the county nature recovery strategy. Check it out here .

  Good leadership is often judged in the heat of the moment, during crisis, change, or challenge. But the most effective leaders perform well under pressure because they prepare for it.  Preparedness is one of the most underrated leadership strengths. It isn’t always visible, dramatic, or urgent. Instead, it is intentional, quiet, and strategic — embedded in behaviours and decisions long before the pressure arrives. Mental preparedness builds consistent leadership. It prevents emotional overreaction. It allows leaders to pause, assess, and respond thoughtfully rather than react impulsively when challenges or constraints emerge.  Prepared leaders are not caught off guard by difficulty; they expect it as part of the journey. They anticipate problems and risks instead of simply reacting to them. They put strategies and processes in place before they are urgently required. They clarify roles, strengthen capability, and ensure people are engaged and aligned before challenges...

I really enjoyed the presentation by Professor Tim Lang at the NFU Conference on his co-authored report on improving civil food resilience for the National Preparedness Commission. Do check out the report.

  Great to see our co-authored paper "Investigating robot acceptance in UK agriculture" published in the Journal of Rural Studies.  Key highlights:  1) Robot acceptance varies significantly by farming sector and job role.  2) Workers prefer robots assisting with tasks but reject robots making operational decisions.  3) Older individuals showed higher robot acceptance, reversing trends in other sectors.  4) Building familiarity is key to driving the adoption of agricultural robots.  Do check it out   

  At first glance, being a brilliant problem fixer sounds like a great strength, and don’t get me wrong, it absolutely can be. Through a positive lens, problem fixers step in quickly, take responsibility, assume control, and identify what needs to be done. They offer direction, provide clarity, and often drive things forward to deliver real, tangible solutions.  But here’s the deeper question: does constantly fixing problems, taking control, taking over, truly empower others?  When we step in too quickly, we may solve the immediate issue, but we can unintentionally remove the opportunity for others to think critically, stretch themselves, and build confidence. Growth rarely comes from being rescued. It comes from wrestling with challenges, making decisions, learning from mistakes, and discovering capability.  Empowerment isn’t about directing every move or always carrying the weight for someone else. It’s about creating space. Space for reflection. Space for ownershi...