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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