News | Farming


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IF REPORTS in the national media are to be believed, the state of farming is dire as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. But as CHRIS LAWSON has discovered, our rural business folk have shown remarkable ingenuity in the face of adversity...


How farmers kept us fed


THROUGHOUT lockdown, farm shops and veg boxes have pro- vided reliable access to abundant fresh seasonal produce, sourced with low food miles at fair prices. With the collapse of wholesale


markets overnight, demand for produce soared, and farmers have been praised for providing a criti- cal service through the pandemic. Weekly sales of food boxes in-


creased by 111% between February and April, according to a report from the Food Foundation, with 65% of box schemes prioritising key workers and the vulnerable. Derek Eagle, who runs Haven


Farm Shop in Sutton Valence, said: “We were overrun in February and


March. People seemed to find us from everywhere.” Derek closed the shop for two


days for a deep clean, re-opening with five extra members of staff . He added: “We reduced the


number of people in the shop at any one time and introduced social distancing. We also put up a mar- quee outside as a waiting area. “Our biggest problem was


panic-buying, so we introduced a degree of rationing to make sure there was enough for everyone.” According to research by the


Farm Retail Association (FRA), farm shops have become more at- tractive for shoppers than ever be- fore. The FRA survey recorded a


significant rise in new customers among 92% of farm retailers since lockdown rules were imposed. The ability to continually replen-


ish fresh produce, offering cus- tomers a quality local alternative to supermarkets, was a major factor. Not only did farm shops stay


open throughout lockdown, many implemented new ways to shop. Almost 80% of farm retailers intro- duced a “click and collect” service, while 67% introduced deliveries. Dave Newell, of Holtwood Farm


Shop in Aylesford, said: “We got extra busy almost overnight. We started opening earlier, but there were still queues all day.” Dave added: “We source our


produce from excellent local farms and suppliers, so we never experi- enced shortages. I think it has made people realise how impor- tant farmers are.” Like other farm shops, Holt-


wood introduced a click and col- lect scheme and started deliveries – all practices which will continue in the future. Rob Copley, chairman of the


FRA, said: “Farm retailers play an important role in the rural econ- omy and provide vital income for thousands of independent suppli- ers. The challenge for farm shops as life returns to normal, is to en- sure that customers keep coming back”.


Direct sales help dairy beat slump


“YOU can’t just turn a cow on and off”, said Steve Reynolds. Along with his wife Karen and sons Frank and Archie, he man- ages the award-winning Kingcott Dairy at Iden Manor Farm, near Staplehurst.


Iden Manor has been home to Meat boxes save day


LOCKDOWN for 22-year-old local sheep farmer Harriet Heathcote meant an awful lot of extra work during her busiest time of year. Her family have been farming in Kent since the 1920s and Harriet prides herself in being a fourth-generation shepherdess. She said: “For me, it was very difficult. I had 700 sheep to lamb for one


farmer, and 450 to do at home afterwards. I’d normally have help, but lockdown meant I had to do it all alone.” Her parents would normally lend a hand in these circumstances, but


both were categorised as vulnerable and advised to self-isolate. However, farmers being farmers, Dad took his turn watching the home flock. The National Sheep Association (NSA) raised serious concerns about


market prices for the sector and as early as March prices were plummet- ing by £1 per kilogram liveweight. Harriet was dismayed when prices dropped from £100-£120 per head,


to £70-£80. But it is a sideline that has proved vital. With market prices as low as they are, Harriet has reaped dividends from the direct sales of her meat boxes. She said: “I’m selling up to 25 lambs a week through the sales of meat boxes, at prices the market can’t match.” l SHEEP farmers have seen a collapse in wool prices because the main market in China stopped buying. A 150-strong flock of sheep might cost £750 to shear but sell for £150, if a buyer could be found. Although the Chinese market has re-opened, it has remained quiet.


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the family and pedigree dairy herds for over 30 years. Kingcott sells 60% of its milk to


Pensworth, the food service and milk processor. With lockdown and the closure of schools and food outlets, the markets for Pensworth milk closed. Prices plummeted and there was a glut of milk. Steve said: “The prices didn’t re-


cover. Our operating costs don’t change. And we didn’t get paid for February’s milk until May. We had to wear the cashflow problem for three months.” Revenue from cheese sales also suffered. Kingcott produces 50% for farm shops and 50% for whole- sale. The wholesale stopped overnight. It brought about a rapid change in marketing.


Karen said: “It took us three


weeks to set up our online pres- ence selling artisan cheese. “We offered free delivery to get


rid of the short shelf life stock we had prepared for the Easter mar- ket, and experienced a tremendous


increase in direct sales.”


An unexpected logistical prob- lem proved to be couriers. Firms suffered staff shortages because of lockdown and were swamped with work. Perishable goods suf- fered when firms couldn’t deliver. Steve said: “A lot of new food hubs were established in lock- down. We were impressed how in- novative people became about selling our cheese and how well so- cial media succeeded.


“The wholesale market will pick up, but it will take time. If we can keep 50% of our increased direct sales, we’ll have achieved a result.”


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