IN the third of our Meet The Farmer series we talked to Charlie Whitehouse. Fifty four year old Charlie's family have farmed at Bradley Farm for 115 years.
Now with four children of his own, he continues to innovate and develop his 2,000 acres, a mix of owned, rented and contract farmed.
He has 1600 acres of arable, 700 ewes and 200 beef cattle along with 1100 milking goats, which is perhaps how locals know him. 'The Goat Chap' has developed an incredible goat ice cream, the gelato brand 'Oh My Goat'
What is the biggest current challenge for farmers?
Weather extremes that reduce profitability by either lowering production or increasing costs.
How do you think the future of farming will look (over the next decade – or century)?
Volatile but absolutely essential. Something that governments haven’t grasped.
What is the one big mistake you have made in your farming career and something you would advise younger farmers to avoid?
I stopped educating myself and thought hard work was the best way to get on. Brains beat brawn nowadays.
If you weren’t a farmer is there anything else you would rather be?
My wife would say I would make a good food critic ! Probably a 360 digger driver.
What is the biggest misconception about farming? That farmers are pessimists. Every year we put a seed in the ground and hope it grows and makes a profit, without any control of the weather or the end price we will receive. We must surely be optimists ( or mad)
What is the thing that makes you most angry? The near constant attack we feel from the current government when we are an industry that is trying to feed the nation and an industry that supports a massive processing industry employing hundreds of thousands of people
What is your favourite aspect to farming? The different seasons and the varied work with running a mixed farm.
What is the one thing that keeps you awake at night (about your farm)?
How can we make farm work more appealing for young people to help fill and the labour gap and did I shut 'that' gate.
Share