Fields of Gold
In recent years, farmers have lived through tough times. They have had to cope with BSE, foot and mouth, the maze of EU bureaucracy as well as being expected to nurture the countryside. Some farmers decided to find alternatives to their traditional livelihoods and have turned their fortunes round through lateral thinking and hard work. Bath is home to Britain’s first Farmers’ Market, and nearby other innovative farming ideas flourish without recourse to intensive methods or spoiling the landscape.
Wellies rather than weddings come to mind travelling the narrow, wet and muddy lane to Priston Mill Farm just south of the city. But approaching the mill, the view becomes altogether more Elysian Fields with ducks running across the farmyard surrounded by rustic buildings and gardens.
Peter Hopwood and his family run this 300 acre property which traditionally offered mixed farming with a water mill dating from the 11th Century.
‘Given that we had this interesting mill, we always opened to the public and sold cream teas too,’ explains Peter. ‘That meant we had to provide a kitchen and toilets. So when we felt that farming was going downhill, we thought we would turn the barn into a function room and see how it worked.’ That was 15 years ago and Priston Mill has since become a favourite wedding venue for couples across the UK.
The farmyard was carefully landscaped to offer wedding guests a garden while retaining its rural feel. Demand grew and 4 years ago the stone mill house was also converted. It is for smaller functions with the massive grinding wheels made a feature through the centre of the building.
‘With summer weddings booked 2 and 3 years in advance, and the permission to hold civil ceremonies here, the function rooms have become the most important part of the business,’ admits Peter. The dairy herd was sold and the land turned over to arable farming with any subsidy based on environmental factors.
The farm as it was could not have continued profitably so the Hopwoods looked around them and used what they saw to their advantage.
The position of Hamswell Farm influenced its owners’ decision to create a cross-country track for horses on their sheep farm. It is a beautiful farm tucked into a little valley between Bath and the M4, hidden to the thousands of tourists who pass it on their way into the historic city. Hamswell has streams, hills, a small lake and woodlands all integrated into the cross-country course.
Richard and Teresa Wharton bought the 200 acre farm in 1990 and have since reared 1,000 lambs annually. However, along with a couple of holiday cottages, the horses have increasingly become more profitable than the sheep. Although only 20% of turnover, they create a much greater percentage of profit.
‘Teenage girls love horses and being so close to Bath and Bristol there has been huge demand,’ says Richard Wharton. ‘That side of the business has grown organically because it is so much easier than sheep farming.’
Hamswell offers self-help stabling and grazing with access to the cross-country track included. Richard says the return on the necessary capital investment is excellent requiring minimal effort.
This is quite different from sheep farming which he plans to reduce. He explains that as EU subsidies are based on acreage not production from 2005, he would be as well off to remove the sheep farming altogether and concentrate solely on horses and holiday lets.
‘It’s madness really, but without the sheep, we would earn just as much. Farmers are no longer encouraged to grow food in this country, although I suppose the horses do provide manure if anyone wants to grow their own.’
However food production is exactly what Graham Padfield at Park Farm has turned to. He diversified into organic cheese making in 1993.
‘We always think this is the year we are going to make a lot of profit, but we never do,’ says Graham, the third generation of his family to run the 400 acre dairy farm just west of Bath.
‘Going organic was quite straight forward but the cheese production has been a labour of love,’ he says. ‘One of the reasons we did this was to make a more interesting business which might be attractive enough to support other members of the family.’ When considering change Graham says you must remember the extra labour required which should ideally come from the family to keep costs down. Capital outlay on buildings and machinery is heavy and although research is very important, future revenue can only be half-guessed.
Cheese-making is a labour intensive business that requires careful humidity and temperature control to produce a good result. Depending on the shape and maturity of the product, its flavour changes substantially and vigilance is required to guarantee consistency.
Park Farm’s cheeses are sought after locally and have become more widely recognized with increased demand. There is plenty of choice from the rich Bath Brie, to the Bath Blue or gouda-like Wyfe of Bath. But although successful, it is still an uphill struggle using just 12% of the farm’s milk production. Graham is justifiably proud of his cheeses, but would advise others to think long and hard before setting out on the same path.
Diversification has worked here but it’s a risky business and times are still tough for farmers.
Advice for Other Farmers
www.pristonmill.co.uk (01225) 423894
www.hamswellfarm.co.uk (01225) 891234
www.parkfarm.co.uk (01225) 331601
© Judith Cameron