Guild members Angus McKirdy, publisher of Crop Production Magazine (CPM), and arable specialist Tom Allen-Stevens (pictured left) are to work together following Tom’s appointment as editor of the publication.
Angus will focus on expanding CPM’s commercial interests after several years of strong financial performance.
“I believe Tom’s background and experience are unique in the arable publishing sector,” says Angus. “He has first-hand farming experience; outstanding technical knowledge; first-class writing and editing skills; and enthusiasm that is second-to-none. I’m confident that together we can take CPM to a new level of excellence.”
Angus (right) has been editor of CPM since it launched in February 1999 and he acquired the magazine in full the following autumn. It is a closed circulation magazine, mailed to almost 16,000 arable farmers and agronomists.
“As a farmer, I’ve always been an avid reader of CPM and as a freelance journalist have enjoyed writing for it,” says Tom. “CPM has a good reputation for high quality editorial, which makes it a valued read for professional arable farmers.
“Angus and I agree that there’s scope to build on CPM’s core editorial strengths – it’s an opportunity I’ve wanted to take on since I started in agricultural journalism 12 years ago,” he adds.
Tom Allen-Stevens is a third generation farmer with a 170ha arable farm in Oxfordshire. He started his career in journalism in 1999 as a staff writer on Crops then moved to the Farmers Weekly website FWi as arable editor two years later. In 2004, Tom took up a role as senior account manager for agricultural clients with Oxon-based PR consultancy Mistral Group.
“Since leaving Mistral in 2009 I’ve worked freelance for Farmers Weekly and also for the LEAF organisation as co-ordinator of Speak Out communications training and organiser of the Open Farm Sunday preparatory workshops,” says Tom. “I’ll continue in that role alongside my new position as CPM editor.”
As part of CPM’s develpment programme, Farming Online is now managing the magazine’s website content.
