North Essex

What North Essex does

JR & EH Nott, operating under the North Essex brand at nottfarming.co.uk, is a family-run agricultural partnership based in North Essex and Suffolk, United Kingdom. The business farms approximately 2,300 hectares of family-owned, tenanted, and contract-farmed land, producing combinable crops including Wheat, Barley (Malting and Feed), Oats, Oilseed Rape, Beans, Linseed, plus approximately 40 hectares of Sugar Beet annually. Its roots stretch back five generations, evolving from a small family farm into an established regional farming operation.

The business operates across three integrated service lines. First, contract farming agreements with landowners — the primary revenue driver — under which JR & EH Nott manages and farms landlord-owned land in exchange for negotiated compensation, with consideration given to conservation, shooting interests, and Environmental Stewardship compliance. Second, tenancy management of leased agricultural land. Third, contracting services offered to other farmers, including contract spraying using an extensive fleet of modern farm machinery equipped with GPS technology for precision agriculture. The company operates from a headquarters farm yard at Ovington Hall, Suffolk, with an office in Gestingthorpe positioned centrally to its current farming activities.

The go-to-market motion is relationship-driven and direct-to-landowner. The majority of business arrangements have been in place for over 20 years, indicating deeply entrenched relationships and high customer retention. The company uses minimal digital marketing, relying primarily on its website and a Facebook page, with expansion pursued through word-of-mouth referrals. Pricing is bespoke per contract farming agreement, and no standard pricing is publicly disclosed. Primary contact is James Nott; the business discloses four dedicated full-time workers with specific functional responsibilities.

Name

North Essex

Legal name

JR & EH Nott

Website

https://nottfarming.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

JR & EH Nott is a five-generation family farming partnership in North Essex/Suffolk, UK, farming approximately 2,300 hectares under contract farming and tenancy agreements while providing GPS-enabled contracting services to other landowners and farmers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Farming Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Crop Production (11511), Farm Management Services (115116), Oilseed and Grain Farming (1111)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFACAAAD

Harvesting & Combining Services (Grain, Oilseed, Row Crop)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Custom Farming & Field Operations (Planting, Spraying, Harvesting)

SECONDARYAFACAAAF

Tillage & Field Preparation Services (Plowing, Cultivating, Bed Prep)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Custom Farming & Field Operations (Planting, Spraying, Harvesting)

SECONDARYAFACAAAG

Custom Application Logistics & Tendering (Nurse Trucks, Mixing/Loading)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Custom Farming & Field Operations (Planting, Spraying, Harvesting)

Keywords

• Contract farming services
• Agricultural land management
• Farm contracting services
• Crop production farming
• Tenancy management

Headquarters

HQ city

Ovington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Contract Farming Agreements: Revenue generated through contract farming agreements with landowners. The company manages and farms land owned by landlords in exchange for agreed compensation arrangements. These relationships have been established for over 20 years with most arrangements.
2. Tenanted Land Operations: Operating tenanted agricultural land as part of the business portfolio
3. Contracting Services: Providing contracting services including contract spraying to other farmers using their extensive range of modern farm machinery

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

JR & EH Nott is a family-run partnership that manages and farms approximately 2,300 hectares of family-owned, tenanted, and contract-farmed land across the North Essex/Suffolk borders, growing combinable crops including Wheat, Barley (Malting and Feed), Oats, Oilseed Rape, Beans, Linseed, and Sugar Beet. The business delivers Contract Farming Services to landowners, Tenancy Management with consideration for conservation, shooting, and Environmental Stewardship requirements, and Contracting Services such as contract spraying to other farmers using modern GPS-equipped farm machinery.

Product overview

North Essex (JR & EH Nott) is a family-run contract farming partnership offering a unified portfolio of agricultural services. The business operates primarily through two integrated service lines: Contract Farming Services, which manages landlord-owned and tenanted land under long-term agreements, and Contracting Services, which provides specialist operations including contract spraying with modern machinery and GPS technology. All operations are managed with attention to conservation and Environmental Stewardship requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract Farming Services Manages and farms land owned by landlords under contract farming agreements, providing agricultural expertise and financial returns to landowners while honoring individual landowner wishes including conservation, shooting, and Environmental Stewardship requirements.
• Contracting Services (including Contract Spraying) Provides agricultural contracting services to other farmers, including contract spraying, using an extensive range of modern farm machinery and GPS technology where appropriate for precision agriculture.
• Tenancy Management Manages tenanted agricultural land with consideration for conservation, shooting, and Environmental Stewardship requirements, growing combinable crops including Wheat, Barley (Malting and Feed), Oats, Oilseed Rape, Beans, Linseed, and approximately 40 hectares of Sugar Beet annually.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2300 hectares of successfully managed farmland

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Agrii (Origin Enterprises): Major UK agronomy services and crop inputs provider supporting arable farming operations. Overlaps with JR & EH Nott through crop production advice, inputs supply, and contracting services, though Agrii operates at national scale as part of a broader agronomy and inputs group.
• Frontier Agriculture: Major UK grain marketing and crop production services business formed from a King Arthur / Cargill joint venture. Comparable in crop production and farm services support, but operates at significant national scale as a grain buyer and inputs supplier.

Direct peers

• Velcourt: One of the UK's largest independent farm management companies, providing contract farming and agronomy services across tens of thousands of hectares. Directly comparable to JR & EH Nott as both deliver professional contract farming on behalf of landowners, though Velcourt operates at materially greater scale nationally.
• Sentry Farming: UK-based farm management company offering contract farming, joint ventures, and consultancy to landowners. Closely comparable business model focused on managing third-party farmland for a fee/contract split, with similar crop production orientation.
• Hutchinsons (HL Hutchinson): National UK agronomy and crop production services business offering advisory, inputs and precision farming services to arable farmers. Comparable crop mix and use of precision technology, though with a wider geographic footprint and broader service portfolio.

Regional players

• Bartholomews Agri Food: South / South West UK agricultural merchant offering grain marketing, agronomy, and farm inputs to arable growers. Comparable in crop mix and contracting overlap, though regionally focused outside the Essex / Suffolk area.

Others

• Brown & Co: UK rural consultancy offering farm management, agency, and advisory services to landowners. Comparable in the farm management / advisory layer, though positioned as a consultancy rather than an operating contract farmer.
• Bidwells Agricultural: UK property and rural consultancy advising landowners on farmland management, tenancies, and contract farming arrangements. Adjacent rather than directly competing; provides a comparable service lens into UK farmland management markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/nottfarming
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-essex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Essex