The Plot staff team
Dennis Touliatos
Grower and FarmStart trainer
Dennis is the Grower and FarmStart trainer at the Plot. He oversees all aspects of the growing and site management, and supervises and trains the FarmStarters day to day, including delivering dedicated training sessions.
Read about Dennis’s reflections on coming into the role – here.
Ellen Pearce
Plot/FarmStart Coordinator
Ellen is the coordinator for the project and coordinates other local food economy work within the District. She facilitates the project meetings and delivers some of the FarmStart training sessions. She is a staff director of LESS and also coordinates the Northern Food and Farming network. She has a background in leading non-profit organisations in a range of contexts.
Read Ellen’s reflections on the first year in Autumn 2021 – here.
Finn Payne
Seasonal Trainee Grower
Finn is a trainee grower, working 2 days a week at the Plot. He works alongside Dennis at our two sites, putting his FarmStart learning into practice to grow and harvest your veg!
Jo Haughton
Communications Coordinator for the Plot, FarmStart, FoodFriends and Gather
Jo joined the LESS CIC and FoodFutures team in June 2024 working part-time coordinating communications for The Plot, alongside Gather and the FoodFriends scheme.
Jo brings 20 years of experience as a Marketing Manager with the National Trust in the Lake District, and is currently involved in the development of a sustainability hub in Kendal in a voluntary capacity – a hub with a surplus food project at its heart (Waste into Wellbeing).
James Smith
Trainer
James was initially involved in supporting the Plot and FarmStart project get set up. He brings his experience of setting up Growing Well, a mental health project near Kendal and working on a number of community growing initiatives and businesses. James now supports the FarmStart business game training day.
Every year a team of FarmStarters work alongside the Plot team, learning the growing and business skills needed to run a small enterprise. Many of our previous FarmStarters are now working as growers or in land-based roles.
FarmStart 2025
FarmStart 2022
Andy
Head Grower
Read Andy’s introduction on starting FarmStart here.
Read Andy and Jo’s reflections on the FarmStart programme here.
Following the FarmStart programme, Andy was successful in securing a Head Grower role at the Living Potential Care Farm just outside Leeds. He is putting in place business and growing plans for restoration of a walled garden and developing a community support agriculture scheme.
Jo
Grower
Read Jo’s introduction to being on the FarmStart programme here.
Read Andy and Jo’s reflections on the FarmStart programme here.
Since completing the FarmStart programme in December 2022, Jo worked as a grower for Home Grown Here in Cumbria until late Spring 2023, when she set off to work and tour growing projects in Europe. She also set up and is leading a national campaign for a universal basic income for farmers.
Rashid
Community growing project coordinator
Read Rashid’s introduction here.
Rashid used the FarmStart programme to gather enough background and understanding to be able to progress a project in Nelson for a community growing project for the Pakistani community.
FarmStart 2021
Lucy
Seasonal Grower
Read Lucy’s introduction here.
Since completing the FarmStart programme Lucy has grown lots more raspberries and allotment veg, which were sold last summer in Low Sizergh Shop. In May 2023, she joined the Plot team as a seasonal grower and packer.
Paula
Volunteer at the Plot
Read Paula’s introduction here.
Paula has continued to come to the Plot as our most regular volunteer since completing the FarmStart programme. She is still committed to moving to the Scottish Islands and having a croft :and having growing food being an integrated part of life.
Sam
Lecturer
Read Sam’s introduction here.
Read Sam’s reflections on finishing as the Plot’s seasonal grower in Autumn 2022 here.
The year after completing the FarmStart programme, Sam returned to the Plot two days a week as a seasonal grower. Following this, he took the decision to focus on his academic career, intending to come back to the dream of being a grower in the future.