I have not been fortunate enough to come from a farming background, destined to take over a family enterprise.
However, it’s afforded me the benefit of not being set on someone else’s path. My opinions are my own, not defined by my father.
I also do not sit in the shadow of those who farmed before me. Being a first-generation tenant farmer allows many freedoms, but every coin has two sides.
Starting from scratch
Starting from scratch, there are certain things that are required in order to farm.
We started with sheep. These seemed the most cost-effective, low-investment entry point. Plus, as a new entrant who didn’t know very much about farming at the time, they seemed the most manageable for me physically.
As our enterprise grew, so did our equipment wish list. At this point everything on the farm was being funded by our wages, while we established a flock sizeable enough to wash its own face.
Then, while on maternity leave, away from my office job and craving something that wasn’t bottles and nappies, I started researching how to sell our lamb off farm. We had around 80 sheep and wanted to maximise on the flock’s return.
“I have always been a firm believer that variety is the spice of life. Let’s be honest, that’s one of the reasons that farming appeals to so many. It’s not often that two days are the same.”
NFU Cymru SYFAP alumni Naomi Williams-Roberts
Looking to target potential customers directly, I went about establishing our Facebook. The business operates as ‘Billy Bob’s Farm’. Born from the breaking down of our second name and something my husband’s friend coined us after getting married (which at the time I hoped wouldn’t stick).
Moving through the legal tick list to get us set up with the council as a food business was simpler than I imagined. Both environmental health and our local council were helpful and offered clear, simple advice. I did a food hygiene certificate course online to ensure we were working within the correct means.
At the time the global pandemic was upon us, and the UK had regained its appreciation for good quality, homecooked food. Especially as the public had more time at home and the option of fast food was removed.
Starting a pumpkin patch
It was at this point we began, unaware, our second diversification mission. In lockdown I requested a vegetable plot. I had something modest in mind and my husband, Josh, cultivated a plot around 20 metres square. I felt like I was working in the dust bowl.
We secured the plot with electric fencing to keep the sheep at bay.
Filling my basket with immense pride, my first crop consisted of potatoes, broad beans, carrots, parsnips, and marrows.
Then in the night, the sheep broke in and ate the lot! All except my marrows and pumpkins. Saved by their natural defence mechanism, their leaves proved a texture undesirable to my thuggish mob of ewes during their nocturnal raid.
We cordoned the remaining plants off with sheep hurdles and at the end of the summer, I had my final harvest of 50 munchkin pumpkins.
We put a post on our local village Facebook page advertising them for 50p and putting them out with an honesty jar. The response was positive with many finding homes with little hands.
The seed was sown and the next year we tried our luck at growing one acre of pumpkins and establishing our pumpkin patch.
This allowed me to have fun with my creative side and Josh to master growing a different crop. The first year we started planting by hand – that was back breaking! We then concocted a Frankenstein’s monster of a machine to help, later purchasing in a specialist tool.
The farm has hosted numerous events, including lambing days for adults and children.
Inviting the public in
Following the success and feedback from our first pumpkin patch, we held a Christmas fair in the barn which was shared with turkeys in the final week of fattening.
This worked out to be a fantastic marketing tool for selling the birds.
The children looked on in amazement at these animals which they commented looked more like dinosaurs. Most were unable to draw the connection to what they enjoyed on their plates at Christmas.
The next year we offered lambing days for adults and children, while in the summer we grew sunflowers – offering cream teas, bouquets and photo opportunities.
When autumn came back around, we reopened the patch, holding a cinema event to offer something to set us apart from other events at the time.
Standing out from the crowd
I can’t emphasise how important social media has been for our business. I try to be as open as possible when sharing our journey online and am amazed when people recognise us from our posts.
I have had negative comments from farmers, never from the public. This attitude can be really damaging. While I understand why farmers are hesitant to share their realities, essentially we are the window into the industry – we need the public and the public needs us.
In addition to sharing our events on local Facebook groups, and encouraging hashtags, we also work with local newspapers, who always welcome a story, and have engaged with influencers, offering free tickets in exchange for a review.
Each year we try and think of different things to help us stand out from the crowd.
Having to move forward and adapt is something that farmers are experts at.
Holding events offers the perfect balance between farming and creativity. Even if the words ‘I have an idea…’ send shivers down my husband’s spine, we both wouldn’t have it any other way!
