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Well on the way to success now, things have not always been easy and stumbling blocks have been many.“ The two major problems have been the weather and trying to maintain a cash flow, whilst growing the business. Summer 2012 was very wet and saw a loss of 80-90 % of the strawberry crop and an almost complete loss of the first trial of pumpkins.
“ Add to this a poorer than expected first year daffodil yield and the well-publicised lending constraints on small firms by the banks it was a very difficult time. And this was just our second year of trading. And yes, I had given up the day job,” recalls Gary.
Looking forward to the next five years the family business is aiming to increase the amount of processing of their primary produce to help reduce wastage and add value. They’ re also looking to increase online sales and develop the cut flowers.
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“ We are just putting the finishing touches to our 6,000 sq ft nursery and will be using it for the propagation of our own plants. As a small business it is always difficult to compete with the prices of the larger growers and importers in a wholesale environment.
“ But by being a grower-retailer and engaging directly with the customer, it is possible to have a viable farming enterprise on a smaller scale and still be competitive with pricing.
“ If we could just have a greater commitment from local and national government to support local procurement then this would be a huge boost to rural enterprises of any scale,” said Gary.
FUW Deputy President Brian Thomas, who recently visited Brooksgrove Farm, said:“ It was
a great experience walking around the farm with Gary and seeing all of the different aspects of the farm.
“ He certainly is innovative and I think we can learn a lot from his attitude to trying new things. What this enterprise here highlights, is the need for continued support for our small family farms and the need for improved procurement policies.
“ It can not be underestimated how much family run businesses, like Brooksgrove Farm, contribute to the local economy and we simply can’ t allow them to be a casualty of poor Brexit planning and failed negotiations.”
October 2017 | Farming Monthly | 09