| Homme Farm, now a 2,000-acre holding in beautiful surroundings at Hom Green,
a couple of miles outside the south Herefordshire town of Ross-on-Wye, was largely
given over to traditional farming methods but has recently become one of the
principal turf growing centres in Britain under the title of Greenblade. Quality
top soil is also supplied. With a £12 million turnover, the family business
under the title of EC Drummond and Son is a far cry from almost half a century
ago when Eric Drummond's father, also known as Eric arrived from Scotland as
a tenant farmer of 250 acres. Said Mr Drummond: "With the pace of things
nowadays, you have to keep up with the times. We took the decision to try to
produce things that people want to buy and have gone away from traditional commodities
like wheat. "Last year was the first real year of selling turf and now we
are entering our second season, aiming to sell one-an-a-half acres a week or
6 to 7,000 square metres a week to double our sales." Specific lawn seed
planted on 150 acres tales 15 to 16 months to reach maturity and harvest. The
light sandy loam soil in the area is ideal for the year round production of turf
for all types of landscaping and sports uses. "Today, people want new lawns
instantly and we find that many of our customers are landscapers working with
the new house sector and garden designers." Mr Drummond said getting the
turf into prime condition required a lot of work and care. It was also a heavy
product to transport to the main markets some 70 miles away. Many of his customers,
he said, were being supplied in South Wales, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Swindon
. "At present, the turf growing employs three persons full-time and as the
business expands we will employ a few more." The farm also produces strawberries,
broiler chickens, potatoes and sugar beet. "The major exercise of growing
strawberries under polytunnels seems to be very successful in providing a quality
product that the retailer wants at the time it is required."We are trying
to extend the season for strawberries. People are now wanting them in May." Mr
Drummond said that polytunnels, while controversial, were an integral part of
the business and with the weather risks there was no way he would contemplate
growing soft fruit without them. "Actually, we are doing no different to
Victorian times when they had cloches to force things like rhubarb. We are doing
a modern version of that in trying to build a sustainable business." During
the summer, the farm once used local labour but as this no longer available it
is forced to employ up to 500 largely foreign students. With strawberry growing
being carried out in a big way the farm has the facility to pack the fruit ready
for the supermarket thus proving further employment. The cost of wages is a major
factor in running the enterprise, costing just over £2.7 million of the £12
million business that looks set to remain in the family in the future.
Eldest son, Ben Drummond, who attended Harper Adams College and
is the third generation of the family, has recently joined the business.
|
