First generation Suffolk farmers struggling to meet demand after 5 years in industry
Abbie and Andy stared out with just a couple of cattle
Last updated 28th Mar 2022
Abbie and Andy are first generation farmers and already are having trouble meeting demand with the success they have had producing quality cuts of beef and lamb.
For Abbie, the love of farming started when she was young, her family used to travel around the country and her grandfather would bribe local farmers so that they could stay on the grounds in their mobile caravan.
At 6 years old she knew she wanted to be a farmer with animals of her own.
Years later she was on a dating app and saw Andy. Like Abbie, Andy was a first generation farmer and had a handful of cattle. The two started dating and within a few months they had grown the amount of cattle they had and expanded into sheep.
Abbie told us is "absolutely blew my mind. I couldn't believe that somebody had the same dream as me, but had actually acted on it and was starting his own business and on his way to having his own farms."
The pair now rent a cottage and land in order to carry out their farming.
We asked Abbie what it was like to have her dream turn into reality.
"I'm still having shock awakenings... It never stops."
"A couple of nights ago I was up to my shoulders in a cow. It's a whole new experience. And every day is a learning curve. "
"Even Andy, who has been in the industry for about 7 years now, he's still learning.
"I don't think you ever stop learning and especially not being from a farming background. It's a constant learning curve."
Abbie also told us about her first time lambing.
"Last year was my first time lambing. That was fun. Let me tell you."
"I'd read all the books I'd watched all the videos, but when you're trying to get something out, the back end of an animal, it's a little bit difference. Talk about a hands on learning experience."
" I sort of looked at farming through... rose tinted glasses. I I saw the animals out in the paddocks and the lambs bouncing about.
"And because I was a little 6 year old from Essex, but they didn't really let me get involved that much in the nitty gritty of actually running a farm.
" So, having now having my own farming business and being in charge from start to finish and in sickness and in health sort of thing with the animals, it is difficult."
Abbie then told us about how she was up at 5am taking care of a cow in labour, where the baby was breach, making it a difficult birth.
Despite the difficulty, the worry and panic, Abbie was able to deliver a healthy calf and Mum was okay too.
"That's the moment where you feel so proud of yourself, like the pride and the adrenaline that you get from that."
"It completely defeats the more, the darker moments I'd say, is outweighed by the good stuff."
We asked how Abbie and Andy had managed to gain their success within a short time.
"I suppose, just sheer determination and just sort of blind ambition."
"We just we don't take no for an answer.
" And we were very lucky with our landlords, Amy and William Hyde Parker, who allowed us and gave us a chance to have that opportunity.
"So we wouldn't be where we are today without them, we really wouldn't. We've been incredibly lucky.
"And also other people who have allowed us to rent their land as well and given us a chance.
"Local farmers have offered us help and advice and local people have been a fantastic support system.
"But also through just hard work and determination.
"And the passion, the passion is so important. I cannot enforce that enough because if you're out there again at 4:00 in the morning, freezing cold, with a sick animal or an animal that needs help and you just and you just don't want to be there and you want to go home or you just can't be bothered.
"That's when you shouldn't. You know, that's when it's probably not for you.
"And a driving force of wanting to look after our our animals.
"Wanting to be self sufficient as well as provide nutrient dense beef and lamb for the community.
"And just purely wanting to be farmers, we just want to farm.
"There's no bells and whistles to it.
"We don't want to be rich whenever gonna be rich doing what we're doing.
"It's it's a lifestyle as well as a as well as a business.
"We don't see it as work. It's it's a way of life."
Their ambitions for the next five years include expanding the amount of animals they own as well as branching into ducks, chickens, pigs and adding cats and dogs for themselves.
Abbie also told us that they want to become certified in being able to do the labelling for their products in order to cut out the middle man.
As well as overall just develop their knowledge and keep improving.