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Englefield
Home Farms cover an area of 1700 acres (688 ha)
surrounding Englefield House. It includes land from
the Pang Valley to the north to the Kennet Valley
in the south. While extremely picturesque, it consists
mainly of poor quality gravel land in a very low
rainfall area. The enterprises include arable, dairy
and non-agricultural diversification activities.
The
dairy enterprise and the surrounding 560 acres (226
ha) are farmed organically.
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Dairy
The dairy enterprise is located at Mayridge Farm.
The buildings are largely 19th Century adapted for
modern use. In their time they were state of the
art agricultural buildings and include the first
known bulk grain store.
The
Friesian cows at Mayridge produce 860,000 litres
of organic milk per year. They are fed a mixed ration
of grass, maize, silage and concentrates. Over the
last four years milk prices have fallen by 27% while
fixed costs have continued to rise.
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arable unit is based at Milehouse Farm. Cropping is mainly wheat, oats,
and set aside. |
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Diversification
In order to sustain income a number of redundant farm
buildings have been converted into small business
units and other rent paying activities. These include
an ornamental blacksmith, a French polisher, a fencing
contractor, a builder and fireplace manufacturer.
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Conservation
The Farm works closely with the Kennet
and Pang Valley Countryside Projects based
at Englefield. The Home Farm is implementing a ten-year
plan as part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme.
This was a result of a Whole Farm Plan carried out
in conjunction with the Kennet Valley Countryside
Project and the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group
(FWAG). The intention is to plant 500 metres of hedge
a year and to encourage wildlife corridors such as
hedgerows, conservation headlands and beetle banks
throughout the farm. Hedgerow trees have been planted
to replace elms lost in the 1970's through Dutch Elm
Disease. A number of small ponds have been dug out
and wetland adjacent to the Rivers Pang and Kennet
has been conserved. Low stocking rates and no inorganic
fertilisers encourage wetland grass species and wildflowers
to flourish. The farm has won a number of environmental
awards including The Berkshire County Council Farm
and Conservation Award in 1996. |
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Home Farm can offer limited farm contracting operations
in the Englefield area. |
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Commercial Activities: Home Farm & Organic Enterprises
