history
Island Life - April/May 2010
Tony Ridd
On the Farm
What’s so great (and often unappreciated) about farms, is their history, importantly,
their family history. They and their ‘farm hands’ are possibly our strongest link to the
‘days-gone-by’ era. Marsh Green Farm, nestled in the south west corner of the Island is
very much one of these farms.
Farmed by Richard Fisk and his son Jeremy
at Windsor. In fact James Robert Fisk,
and arable land. They milk 230 dairy
(fifth generation) they proudly run a
Richards Great Grandfather bought his
cows and with heifers, calves and beef
successful Jersey herd, that was started
first Jersey bull from Queen Victoria when
stock their head count is over 400 beasts.
by Richard’s Great Grandfather in 1866 at
the Royal herd was kept at Osbourne
Shate Farm, Brighstone.
Estate, East Cowes.
The herd is simply called the ‘Brighstone
In 1925 Marsh Green Farm was bought
Living in one of the most picturesque
places on the island, the cows graze
the surrounding fields for six months
Herd’ and has the honourable distinction
by Richards Grandmother, the herd still
of the year and are housed over winter
of being the second oldest Jersey Herd
being kept here today. The farm has
in the yard at Marsh Green Farm. They
in the UK (excluding Jersey), the oldest
steadily increased in size since then, and
are milked twice a day, 5am and again
being owned by the Queen, and now kept
now covers 750 acres of mixed grazing
at 2pm, with milking taking three and
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