New Directors announced for OFC

The Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) has appointed three new Directors, who will join the board, on a three-year term.

Vicky Robinson, Head of Sustainability at the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), Dan Smith, Farm Manager and Consultant, and Corrina Urquhart, Chief Executive Officer of BASIS, will commence their term in January 2026.

The charity, which is celebrating its 90^th year, selected individuals who had strong knowledge and experience within agriculture business development, policy, governmental affairs, and charitable governance.

Vicky Robinson has combined her passion for farming and the environment throughout her career, growing up on her family’s arable farm in Oxfordshire, where she remains a partner. During this time she worked for Natural England focusing on agri-environment schemes, both as an adviser and providing technical expertise to Defra during the development of Countryside Stewardship and the Environmental Land Management schemes. Following her Nuffield Farming Scholarship in 2019 entitled ‘Farmer to Farmer Knowledge Exchange: Relevance and challenges during change’, Vicky took on the position as Technical Director at LEAF before moving to her current role with the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC). 

Dan Smith, who is a graduate of the OFC Inspire Programme, runs a mixed beef, sheep, and arable farm in Monmouthshire, South Wales, enriched by contributions from others and their enterprises and rooted in a regenerative system. Alongside this, his consultancy work has a strong emphasis on coaching, soil health and practical management improvements, rather than theoretical models. Since launch, the consultancy has grown significantly, supporting a wide range of business, estates and projects. Dan was a 2024 Nuffield Scholar, with a study on "Generation Regeneration" combining his passions for future generations and agroecological farming. 

Corrina Urquhart has over 20 years of experience within education, policy and agriculture, holding positions with the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), the National Farmers Union (NFU) and more recently, Lantra. During this time, she has developed a strong understanding of the challenges facing the agricultural industry, as well as the many opportunities. As Chief Executive Officer for BASIS, she is supporting the charity to set professional standards in the agriculture and wider land management sectors.

Commenting on the appointments, Jude McCann, OFC26 Chair said,

“We are delighted to welcome Vicky, Dan and Corrina to the board, bringing a wealth of diverse experiences, knowledge and networks, to support the Oxford Farming Conference at a monumental occasion – our 90^th year.

“We received an extremely high number of applications, demonstrating the strong interest and importance of the conference within the agricultural sector. These roles are entirely voluntary, demonstrating a real commitment from all the board to supporting and enhancing the industry, as we follow our charitable remit to include, challenge and inspire.”

The 2026 conference, running from 7 to 9 January, will focus on “Growing Resilience”. The event will reflect on the resilience, strength and significant moments of OFC over the last 90 years, as well as looking to the future with hope and optimism, exploring what could be next. With a strong focus on ensuring people, farm business and environment continue to grow and develop in a resilience manner, the event offers in person tickets and an online digital stream. To find out more visit our dedicated website area.