Hereford Monitor Farm

The diverse rotation at Garnstone features wheat, herbage seed, tenderstem broccoli and spring linseed. Maize and wholecrop oats are also grown for a nearby AD plant. Grass leys provide grazing for the estate’s Aberdeen Angus suckler and rearing herd.

The soil type at Garnstone is medium silty clay loam over clay. The approach to cultivation is flexible, ranging from direct drilling to plough and combi drill depending on soil condition and the crop to be planted.

Chris sees the Monitor Farm programme as an opportunity to interrogate their approach. Having been in post for just shy of three years, Chris wants to scrutinise the changes he’s implemented so far and find further opportunities to improve.

The business is in good stead but with the loss of BPS and rising input costs, Chris wants to ensure they continue along a good direction of travel.

Over the next three years as a Monitor Farm, Chris wants to see every crop perform financially, making the best use of stewardship payments and grants to achieve this.

It’s also important to the arable operations that the beef enterprise, which is only 6 years old, functions profitably.

Chris acknowledges the need to change in an ever-changing natural and business environment. He looks forward to sharing his journey through the Monitor Farm over the next three years.