Louisa Bennett, Forage Production Planner

Tell us a bit about your career so far? How long have you been with ForFarmers?

I joined ForFarmers in January 2021 as a forage production planner. Prior to this I lived in London and worked in events, managing hospitality for sponsors and athletes at various sports events. However, I come from an agricultural family, and after moving closer to home during the pandemic, I spotted this job which appealed to both my agricultural side and planning skills.

What does your role involve?

As a production planner we are the link between our account managers and the suppliers who provide our products. I work closely with the forage specialists and forage product managers to ensure that we can facilitate everything that our customers would like to order. This includes everything from seeds to silage additives as well as FM BioEnergy. We have a lot of different suppliers and products, so every day is always different.

What do you enjoy about your job?

I particularly enjoy the communication with the account managers and specialists on our side, as well as with different suppliers. I enjoy learning about all the different products we sell and how they can help our customers achieve their aims.

Getting out and meeting suppliers is also really interesting. We recently had a ‘meet the supplier’ day, where we had the chance to spend a little bit of time with each supplier to learn about the products they offer.

I was also lucky enough to take part in a forage academy run by forage product manager Mel Digger. It was a fascinating opportunity to learn more about forage and everything we can offer. Getting to see the finished product is also very satisfying - driving past fields now I really appreciate how much thought and work has gone into it from all sides.

What do you like about working at ForFarmers?

As a large company there are lots of opportunities to progress and learn about different parts of the business. This is something that ForFarmers is particularly supportive of and there are always lots of training opportunities made available to us.

It may sound cliché but I work with a great bunch of people. Everyone is really friendly and helpful, and it’s a very supportive environment. There is expertise in so many different areas so if you have a question, there is always someone who can answer it.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I spend a lot of time walking my three-year-old dog in the countryside and spending time with family and friends. I’m lucky to live in an area where there are lots of beautiful areas to walk and get some fresh air. I’m also a big football fan and I particularly love supporting the women’s game.