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Ross Pattinson explains how he diversified his farming business with the support of David Allen.
I have worked with David Allen since I started my working career at the age of 16, David Allen was a one-man operation at this time, so I have seen his business develop and flourish into what it is now.
My grandparents were farmers, I used to go and help them from a very young age. My father helped me get some sheep of my own and rent some land at the age of 14. Year on year we grew in sheep numbers and amount of land. I left school and went to work on a farm and completed a three-year agriculture apprenticeship at Newton Rigg College. Upon completing my apprenticeship, I went to work for my grandparents, followed by the chance to rent a small holding near them which I moved into. I increased my stock up to 350 ewes and started keeping suckler cows.
In 2011, my wife and I put a tender in for the farm we now call home, and we were successful at getting the 15-year tenancy for Temon Farm. We moved to the farm in February 2012, one month before our eldest child Lexi was born. From then we increased in number of sheep and cows and also reared dairy heifers for other local farmers and started to breed pedigree British blue cattle.
In 2018 I got the chance to buy a second-hand milking parlour from a farm I was milking on part time. We went for it and fitted the parlour over winter and started to milk in January 2019 and we haven’t looked back. We sold half of our ewes that year until we got the cow numbers built up then sold nearly all of them the year after. We now milk 130-140 Jersey Friesian cross cows and try and graze them outside as much as weather will allow. Alongside the dairy the pedigree blues have grown from strength to strength and we have had a lot of success in the show and sale rings.
Due to the dairy running so well, in November 2020, we invested in an on-farm milk vending machine and pasteurising facilities in an old stone building.
We now sell pasteurized whole milk in glass bottles that can be used again and again. Alongside the milk you can make your milk into milk shake and purchase ice cream made from our own milk. Also, in the milk barn you can buy groceries sausage, bacon, eggs, pies, butter, cheese, vegetable packs or even get a coffee from our coffee machine.
In the current circumstances, buying local is becoming more and more important to people. We strive to use recyclable materials; we strive to be as environmentally friendly as we can be.
The Coronavirus pandemic has not disrupted our business, only on the construction front where some materials have been hard to purchase. It hasn’t affected sales; we are able to stay open as long as hand sanitiser and masks are worn, and we clean everything on a regular basis.
I cannot fault the service and support that we receive from David Allen. I speak to the team on a regular basis for advice on future plans or ideas. Having someone like David with expert knowledge to run business ideas by is extremely beneficial, we have a great working relationship. The team complete the businesses VAT and TAX, I have also completed Wills with the David Allen Wills and Probate team.
If you would like to discuss your farming business with our experts, please contact us.
