Meet the team that brings us the berries - Natasha

Meet Natasha – fixer, planner and problem-solver! If you ask anyone at BDF what Natasha’s greatest strength is, they will tell you ‘she just keeps going’!

Here we find out more, including her passion for people.

Tell us a bit about you and explain your job to us in a sentence or two?

I’ve worked at BDF since 2004, initially as a supervisor and then progressing to my current position as Operations Manager. I oversee that work is scheduled in and carried out at an appropriate time, including harvest and husbandry work, alongside organising staff numbers and looking after staff welfare.

Tell us about the farm?

We have two key growing areas or farms. Hempnall was established in 2000 and Martham was established in 2002. Hempnall is situated just south of Norwich and Martham is situated eight miles north of Great Yarmouth. Both areas are situated close to the east coast which benefits from great levels of sunshine and light throughout the year - it’s almost an hour better per day than the UK average!

What does a typical day look like for you?

Things are always very busy with consistent staff communication making sure work is carried out to specification. A normal day will consist of meetings, problem solving and taking care of staff welfare.

What inspired you to do this job?

Every day and every challenge is different which means I’m always involved with varied tasks and planning which keeps me busy - just how I like it! It’s also great to be part of an interesting industry helping to put healthy and tasty food on people’s plates.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I love to see a job well done on completion! It’s also satisfying to see when the company does well and makes a profit.

What technology do you have/use to help you grow your strawberries?

We have computerised watering and venting systems, a biomass boiler for heating the glasshouses and a CO2 system to enhance the growth and yield of our berries.