About Crouch's Farm

The Farm

Located in the village of East Hoathly in the middle of East Sussex, the farm totals 900 acres at 200ft above sea level. Soils are mainly Weald Clay with Tunbridge Wells sand on top. Rainfall in the area is about 0.9 of a metre per annum. Drought is rarely a problem. The farm is situated near an array of main roads and close to the towns of Brighton, Eastbourne and Tunbridge Wells.

Crouch’s has always been a mixed diary and arable farm. The Courtney’s started farming this land in 1963 and the farm has expanded and grown whenever land nearby has become available. Over the years the dairy herd has expanded, from 30 to 200 Friesian milking cows and 150 young stock. During the winter cows are fed on grass and maize silage plus 8 kgs each of high protein food to maximise milk production. Due to the heavy clay soil all animals are housed during the winter months. In the summer the cows and young animals graze grass. The cows each produce 8000 litres of milk every year. Sheep are present on the farm during the winter months. On the arable side we grow Oats, Rape and Wheat which is all sold.

Courtney Farming

The Courtney’s started farming in 1963 with Ayrshire diary cows, which were crossed with Friesian bulls, creating the black and white Friesians we have today. Since then we have grown and developed into a multi faceted business with a wide array of interests. These include; arable farming, livestock, estate management, farming partnerships, contract farming and farm property development. We have diversified ethically, innovatively and with a great pride in our work maintaining a sustainable balance between environmental awareness and economic viability.

Our Philosophy

Our philosophy is to keep developing our farming business to be at the forefront of modern agriculture. Ensuring the profitability for our family we balance economic success in harmony with the countryside. Working in a way that combines environmentally ethical practices with the most up to date scientific knowledge and technology, we seek to maximise our economic productivity, whilst in the long run maintaining and sustaining the natural environment in the most effective manner possible. Integral to our work and projects is our respect for our people and animals, the environment and sustainability.

Our Values

To balance profitable farming in harmony with the environment
To keep sustainability at the forefront of our farming practices
To realise the financial potential of our clients assets
To be at the forefront of agricultural development and scientific know how
Develop our family business whilst giving back to the community

Our Team

Farm Manager – Mark Lewis
Herd Manager – Adam Wadey
Extra Help – Dave Freeman and Rowan Haffenden (job share)
Commercial Property Office – Office Manager/PA – Jo Forbes
Cow Consultant
Arable Consultant
A consultant who analyses the whole business

Aims and Objectives

Like all businesses, in order for farms to be efficient, profitable and innovative they need to have a structured approach to their management. Allowing goals to be set and achieved and therefore enabling progress to be made.  Below are some of the most recent aims and objective of Crouch’s farm. These seek to address a variety of issues from the economic to environmental.

Grassland -
Cut down on the use of fertilizers N + P + K
New clover leys
Better use of slurry
Aim to produce high quality forage. One good cut of grass silage. Keep grassland free of weeds by spot spraying. Make good quality round and square bale grass silage bales for dry cows.

Cows and Heifers –
Easy calving – better feeding at calving
Easy calf rearing
Maintain simple stress free system for both cows and staff
Maintain clean water troughs
Improve conception rate  

Crops –
High fuel prices – cut cultivation costs
Monitor fuel consumption for each operation
GPS – for accuracy of operation

Miscellaneous –
Maintain fertile and well structured soils
Keep farm clean and tidy
Keep buildings, road and tracks in good state of repair
Aim for less waste with responsible disposal
Maintain the necessary records for our use and for all inspections.

Environment and Sustainability -     
We are concerned about the impact of farming and our farming services on the environment and we make every effort to consider this in all of the work that we do. Our approach to sustainability is neither too conservative nor too radical. We believe we can act sustainably without jeopardizing profits, using environmentally and socially sound practices. We believe that good farming can both feed the world and protect the environment, by securing our farms long-term environmental economic and social futures. We aim to exceed local standards, continually improve our practices, and be sensitive to the local environment and larger ecosystems of the region. As part of our efforts we try to look at the long-term gains not just the temporary ones.


 

"We do not inherit the earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our children"

Ancient Indian Proverb.