Ben's Story
15 June 2026
Key prices and savings
Membership fee:
£700
Spend with AF:
£211,328
Service charges:
£2,468
Annual net savings:
£12,552
*Based on last year’s annual spend, average service charges and annual savings tracker.
AF Member Ben Brooke is a fourth-generation arable farmer based in March, Cambridgeshire. The business has diversified into wind turbines and a renowned Western riding school. Ben is also known for helping raise awareness of farming, rural life and mental health through his social media channels and is a member of Britain's Got Talent winners the Hawkstone Farmers Choir.
“I came home to rejoin my Dad on the farm about three years ago, after building a career in design and digital recruitment. We farm 2,500 acres, growing wheat, sugar beet, peas, beans and mustard. We’ve also got a few diversifications on farm, including wind turbines and my uncle’s Western riding business.”
“We’ll have been AF Members for 20 years in July. I think it was my Dad that joined AF originally, because it seemed easier to get good prices that way.
“Some people might see it as a bit of a luxury, but getting the right prices and having someone dedicated to our account is important for us as a business. Often we don’t have much time, so using AF can be a massive weight off our shoulders.
“These days it’s usually me that calls AF, although my Dad still likes to speak to the team about our fertiliser orders.”
“AF’s a not-for-profit co-operative, we’re shareholder Members, which is important because gives us peace of mind that we’re getting the best prices."
“The main areas we spend in are fertiliser, crop protection and fuel. The fertiliser is mostly for our cereals. We bought some liquid fertiliser because we found it cheaper and easier to get hold of during the last fertiliser crisis.
“As well as buying red diesel for use on the farm, we also order our kerosene (heating oil) from AF. And we’ve got AF fuel cards too – they’re really useful as we get the prices on a Friday afternoon so we can see how much we’ll save next week.”
“I love farming, everything about it. I love how varied it can be, and how much it gets me outside. I love how rewarding it can be, because of how much effort you put into growing the crops. And I don’t think there’s anything better than being outside when the weather is nice, harvesting our crops.”
