Joe's Story
21 April 2026
Key prices and savings
Membership fee:
£960
Spend with AF:
£154,001
Service charges:
£3,357
Annual net savings:
£9,059
*Based on last year’s annual spend, average service charges and annual savings tracker.
AF Member Dewing Grain is no stranger to co-operative values. The business was founded in 2006 by Andrew Dewing, who previously worked as a grain trader for farmer-owned co-operative Aylsham Grain Marketing Limited. As Dewing Grain reaches 20 years’ AF membership, trader Joe Beardshaw explains why being part of AF remains just as valuable today as it was when the company first joined.
“I’m Joe Beardshaw, Store Manager & Trader for Dewing Grain Ltd. I also head up the compliance side of things, including Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops (TASCC) compliance. On top of that, I get involved in our building projects and manage our newest venture, Crop Doctor - a state-of-the-art mobile colour sorter.
“At its core, Dewing Grain - along with Yaregrain PLC, which is part of our group and also an AF Member - is a grain merchant. We act as marketing agents for two co-operative grain stores and run several other stores across the county.
“We trade in malting barley and feed wheat, alongside most other combinable crops and specialise in registering grain stores with the London ICE Futures exchange to help bring a premium to farm gate level which has also stimulated our historical appetite to expand our various storage facilities. The Dewing Grain Group is quite diverse, and having been AF Members for 20 years means we can stay focused on the day job.”
Crop Doctor - Dewing Grain's mobile grain processing unit.
“Being an AF Member has made our lives much easier. When it comes to construction materials for example, we really value the knowledge of the AF team when sourcing or purchasing products. Their experience helps ensure we get the best price, which is essential for us - and it saves a huge amount of time.
“Last year alone, we procured close to £30,000 worth of construction materials through our AF account, ranging from plastering supplies and timber to designer paint.
“We’re a small company, and researching products in detail simply isn’t always viable. Having AF do that work for us makes life a lot easier.”
“One of our biggest expenditures is electricity.
“Our sites use a large amount of electricity because of all the motors, conveyors, elevators, and equipment pushing air through the grain to keep it fresh. Last year our electricity bill came to over £100,000.
“Through AF, we know someone is always looking out for the best price on our behalf. That support has been a really important factor in helping us keep our costs under control.”
“We also buy all our fuel through AF. Across Dewing and Yaregrain, our annual fuel spend can exceed £20,000.
“The biggest volume of fuel we use is for our grain drying units during harvest - essentially kerosene-burning dryers. The AF fuel team is brilliant. If we call during harvest because we’re running low, it’s never a problem.
“That reliability means our team don’t have to panic at the busiest time of the year, which is invaluable.”
“Ultimately, using AF for our procurement saves us money, saves us time, and gives us access to expertise we simply don’t have in-house - allowing us to focus on doing our jobs.”
Find out more about Dewing Grain and Yaregrain.
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