Farming Talk: Team members pass chartered surveyor exam

Louise Roberts, 23, and Stephen Evans, 25, took the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' Assessment of Professional Competency examination on the same day and both passed.

They joined Halls' expanding rural professional team last year, working under directors Peter Willcock and David Giles and myself, rural professional director Shaun Jones.

Their roles include environmental stewardship, single payment scheme and other Rural Payments Agency-related work, planning and general agricultural agency duties.

Louise, a farmer's daughter from Westbury, near Shrewsbury, graduated from Harper Adams University, Newport with a BSc honours degree in Rural Enterprise and Land Management.

During her studies, she became the first Harper Adams University student in 2007 to be awarded the Bruce Wilson-North Scholarship from the Country Land and Business Association and also won awards from Bidwells, Brown & Co and Savills.

Stephen, a dairy farmer's son from Dudleston, near Ellesmere, joined the professional team after assisting with residential sales and agricultural work at Halls' Whitchurch office.

An Aberystwyth University geography graduate, he completed a post graduate diploma in rural environment and land management at Harper Adams last year.

Louise and Stephen, who both spent work placements with Halls during their university studies, are now working towards becoming full members of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers. They are both active members of Shropshire Federation of Young Farmers Clubs.

Their success is a great credit to their ability because there was a lot of pressure on them, taking the exam within an hour of each other. It's fantastic news for the Rural Professional Department at Halls as the company prepares to move to its new head office early in the new year. Louise and Stephen will be attending a Defra Farm Advice Service information event organised by Halls at Shrewsbury Livestock Centre tomorrow, November 7, when speakers will provide important updates to farmers and landowners.

This free event starts at 7.30pm and is open to anyone interested. Speakers include Defra Farm Advice Service regional representative and dairy farmer Robert Kynaston, Environment Agency officer Helen Cripps, and Country Land and Business Association rural adviser Donna Tavernor.

They will give updates on cross compliance, including cattle movements, TB testing and soil protection reviews, catchment sensitive farming, soils and pesticides, CAP and single farm payment.

David Giles will also give a progress update on Halls' new head office and fine art salerooms at Battlefield.

Shaun Jones is Halls' rural professional director