A CUMBRIAN farmer has returned to his roots to take on an important management role at the county's largest agricultural college.

James Todd, has been appointed the new Farms Manager at Newton Rigg, Askham Bryan College’s Cumbrian centre.

His role includes the management of the college's teaching farm Low Beckside, at Mungrisdale.

Mr Todd joins the college’s agriculture team after gaining extensive farming experience in Scotland and Shropshire as well as in his home county.

Alongside Low Beckside, hee will be responsible for ‘Sewborwens’, the home farm, where a state of the art dairy unit operates.

Low Beckside is the hill farm where the state-of-the-art sheep husbandry training centre opened earlier this year.

On his appointment Mr Todd said: "I’m excited to bring my expertise to the role.

"After spending the last four years managing a 370 herd of pedigree Holsteins at Skirwith Hall Farms near Penrith, I’m looking forward to the challenges the college's dairy unit and Sheep Husbandry Training Centre will deliver."

Matt Bagley, Askam Bryan's Head of Farms, previously held the role of farm manager at Low Beckside.

He said: "James comes highly recommended to us with broad technical and practical knowledge, particularly in dairying. He also has the drive and enthusiasm needed to take forward our farms which are a vital part of our students' education."

Originally from near Hayton, West Cumbria, James now lives in Blencarn, Penrith.

Askham Bryan College specialises in land-based courses – from diploma level through to degrees, attracting students from across the country. It also has an extensive range of apprenticeship programmes.