Potato Review

20 POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2021 PROFESSIONAL PROFILE Q: Can you tell me a little about yourself. What did you aspire to be when you were growing up? MR: I was born in Jersey and had a love of working with animals and so originally wanted to be a vet! However, I had farming in my blood with three or four generations from my Grandfather on both sides of my family, skipping my father as his father died when he was quite young. I’ve always keen on sport. I play a little five-a-side football (slowly now!) and tennis and try to keep reasonably fit. Q: How did you embark on your career path and go about achieving your goals. Tell me a little about how you came to be in your current position? MR: Born in Jersey, I left school after A-levels and went to Seale Hayne Agricultural College in Devon to complete an HND in Agriculture. After leaving college, I worked on several large arable/dairy farms in the UK before returning to the island and working on several large local farms. Growing on an island Mike Renouard , Business Unit Director at The Jersey Royal Company, talks about the challenges of growing in Jersey and how he came to be doing it. I took up the position of Technical Manager for TOP Produce, a predecessor of The Jersey Royal Company, 25 years ago. I later became Technical Director when JRC was formed and more recently moved into my current role overseeing all aspects of the day-to-day running of the business. Q: What experiences have helped to shape your career and inspire you? MR: Working from the ground up and learning from some people who have given me the opportunities to get to where I am now has been fantastic. I’m always up for a challenge and not afraid to admit when I get things wrong and change tack if necessary. ➜ “Growing potatoes on an island on a large scale is challenging. The structure of the island, with a house sitting adjacent to many fields, means that we are always in the face of the public.”