Celebrating Ian Gould and Jamie Gunn

This month we bid fond farewell to Ian Gould, who retires from the Oakbank business at the end of 2025, and Jamie Gunn, who is beginning an exciting new chapter in the North of England. We salute their achievements and celebrate how Oakbank-trained talent is helping shape the UK countryside and our industry.

Ian Gould: cover-crop revolutionary

As co-founder of Oakbank alongside Tim Furbank, Ian has spent more than two decades setting Oakbank up for success as a centre of excellence for environmental stewardship and conservation seed advice. He emerged as an early champion of regenerative agriculture, travelling to the States, France and Holland, driven by his fascination with plant-led soil improvement, carbon sequestration and farming resilience.

He’s been the voice of the “cover-crop revolution”, presenting at a number of conferences, events and podcasts, sharing insights into intercropping, living mulches and root-exudate systems.

Under Ian’s guidance, Oakbank’s trials on living mulches, cover and catch crops have helped shaped thinking on soil health. Our clients benefit from healthier soils and co-benefits such as carbon sequestration because of the relentless curiosity and collaborative spirit that the team will now take into 2026 and beyond.

As Ian leaves at the end of the month, we’re grateful for all he’s done. His legacy remains part of Oakbank’s ethos, the knowledge he has passed down to the team is being employed across the UK and the cover-crop revolution shows no sign of slowing. Look out for our 2026 programme: new trials, new collaborations, next-stage advice - all inspired by the foundations Ian helped build over the last 20 years.

Jamie Gunn: spreading his wings

Joining Oakbank in mid-2021 after completing a Masters in Rural Estate and Land Management at Harper Adams, Jamie made an instant mark as Farm Environment and Stewardship Advisor. Over the past four years, he has shaped successful Stewardship and SFI applications, championed biodiversity, planned BNG projects and helped deliver whole estate environment plans.

Jamie’s gift for translating technical schemes into practical, high-impact results has made a difference on farms and estates across the country. Away from stewardship plans, Jamie is a passionate birder with an impressive ability to identify bird calls - a skill that reflects his sharp observation and attention to detail. He was also instrumental in helping recover a grey partridge population on the farm where our main office is at Ellington.

We wish Jamie every success in his new endeavour, knowing that wherever he lands, his thoughtful advice and hands-on approach will continue to inspire positive change.

Looking ahead

2026 will see Oakbank push boundaries even further, with research-led initiatives and partnerships that promise to redefine how we support soil health and biodiversity.

Oakbank’s success rests on the expertise and passion of its team and our dedicated advisory and technical specialists will continue delivering the same trusted guidance and pioneering solutions that Oakbank is known for. Though we’ll miss Ian and Jamie’s day-to-day presence, we celebrate their next steps and, in such a close-knit industry, our paths will keep crossing.

A warm thank-you to Jamie and Ian - here’s to continued success and to making a real, positive difference!

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