Island Life Magazine Ltd October/November 2010 | Page 54

interview

Island Life - October/November 2010
Brother Chris and Ron begin farming 1948

Ron Holland's first Hunting pony 1956
crazy!”
After three months Ron returned to

Ron's father taking his brother Chris, sister Anne and Ron
for a ride 1951
his one-fifth out. So Ron went to the

farming complemented by sheep,

bank with the partnership agreement,

cereals and beef cattle.

life on the farm, and described it as

and got a loan based on that instead.

‘a nightmare’. “It was just as if I had

Allowing for a two thirds mortgage

farming business, like so many others,

never been away. But in truth I never

from the Agricultural Mortgage

hit hard times. Milk prices plummeted;

got on with my father. All he ever did

Corporation, he began his search in

a wave of protests ended veal exports,

was expect you to work. If you wanted

Dorset for a farm of his own.

and the industry was rocked by BSE –

a day off he would get the doctor out

Then in the late 1990s his flourishing

Having done his research, Ron wanted

mad cow disease.

to you, thinking there was something

to become a dairy farmer. He knew

wrong. He wanted us to work around

nothing else in the farming industry

slashed by two-thirds. The employees

the clock, and even at meal times he

was as profitable. But because he did

had to go. Ron and son Jamie just

just talked about the farm.”

not have that much money, he was sent

managed to keep the farm going. Bed

Ron stuck it for three years, finally

It resulted in Ron’s income be ing

out to look at what he thought were all

and breakfast was introduced at their

persuading his father, after much

the ‘no hope’ farms in Dorset, which

17th century farm house, run by his

disagreement, that he was going to

were absolutely dreadful.

second wife Sue.

take every third weekend off, having

But there was just one farm at the

met the girl who was to become his

bottom of the estate agent’s pile that

of one of the farm’s barns into a

first wife, but later sadly died after a

happened to be on the Isle of Wight

four-bedroom holiday let, all en suite.

long illness.

That prompted the development

– Kemphill Farm, Havenstreet. So Ron

Then followed by two more barn

He decided he wanted to break away

came across to the Island and realising

conversions, each into five-bedroom

and have a farm of his own. But it was

the farm was really good value, bought

units.

not that easy . He had been made one

it in 1972, and has never regretted it.

of the partners in his father’s farm –

To make use of the farm itself, Ron

It was a 160-acre farm, and ideal for

expanded the beef. Two years ago he

unknown to him – for tax reasons. The

dairy . Ron purchased the neighbouring

was approached by Island Foods who

three boys each had a one fifth share,

farm in 1979, and continued to expand

wanted to buy exclusively Island cattle.

with father having two-fifths.

until he was eventually farming 300

The deal began with one a week – on

acres .He employed three men, and

the strict proviso from Ron that the

made ‘serious money’ from dairy

meat had to be hung for three weeks

But the agreement was so written that
he had to give five years notice to get
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