country life
Island Life - April/May 2011
David's
one-off
farm
continues
to grow
Records show that David Brown’s
ancestors have farmed on the Island in
various capacities for at least 500 years.
But perhaps none of those who have
gone before him could envisage how
David and two of his brothers, Chris
and Andrew, have had to adapt and
re-adapt to the ever-changing farming
industry over the past few years.
At his family home at Hale Farm,
David is surrounded by the 1,900 acres
of land that make up the farm. But
these days this is no ordinary farm
– it is a one-off as far as the Island
is concerned, with sweet corn and
asparagus now figuring highly as its
main products, both grown on a very
large scale.
“We are growing some things that
are actually profitable,” admits David.
“It has been a lot of hard work. You
have to run a tight ship, because there
is no leeway, no room for error. We
are a big farm on the Island, but you
still have to specialise to make the job
work. For example, we have 120 acres
82
of asparagus in the ground, and in the
country there maybe only 10 other
asparagus farms the size of ours.”
He continued: “At one time there
were five combine harvesters on the
farm, now we have one which we
share with my sister Ann, who farms
at Atherfield. Things have changed;
it is not just about farming any more.
Around 30 per cent of our income has
nothing to do with farming at all, and
it is that 30 per cent that keep things
going. You can’t just produce and then
find the market to sell it. You need to
find that market first.”
Although most of the produce from
Hale Farm is taken to the mainland,
there are several Island outlets where
it is sold, including Farmer Jack’s at
Arreton Barns, with David able to
proudly boast that the asparagus crop
is among the best yield anywhere in the
south of England.
The Brown family began farming in
Brading, according to the parish records
of 1560, and the family have farmed at
a variety of venues, including Cridmore
and Pyle in the 1700s, and then on to
Whippingham in Queen Victoria’s time.
Folklore has it that the Mr. Brown of
that era once halted the Queen’s coach
by accidently driving his cows in front
of it. So no doubt Her Majesty, having
been amused by one Mr. Brown, was
not amused by this one!
David’s grandfather Arthur was
probably the first of the more modern
era. He was born in 1890 at Merstone
Farm, and grew up on farms near
Havenstreet. He returned to Merstone
in 1930 when it came on the market,
and then acquired Pagham Farm.
But this was a period of depression,
and the farming industry was not in
a good state. Even so Arthur bought
Haseley Farm, before taking himself off
to Germany, confirming his views that
war was again on the horizon. Sensing
farming was always needed during war
time, he expanded his farming empire,
and was among the first to have a
tractor on the Island, and go into
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