David Hampton13 April 2010
David Hampton's farm near Manningtree, Essex, has been in the family since 1919.
David moved there with his father in 1949.
What's on the farm?
Cross-bred Red Poll/Aberdeen Angus cows;
Cross-bred Essex gilts/boar pigs;
Friesian cows (previously used for milking, now a suckling herd)
Ex-dairy
Once a dairy, the farm now produces biodynamic organic beef and pork.
Following encouragement from his milk co-op buyer, David converted the dairy to organic. Then the co-op said it was cheaper to bring its milk up from Somerset instead.
At that point David moved the farm over to beef and pork production and went on a butchers' course.
Selling locally
David sells both beef and pork from the farm's own butchery. The sales are mainly through local farmers' markets and local orders but he also sells on to other organic farmers.
David has 17 cows and 7 sows, and grows much of his own feed. The animals are cross-bred Red Poll/ Aberdeen Angus and originally from their Friesian milking cows, now a suckling herd.
The pigs were started in 1961 with Essex gilts and have been crossed with boar.
Nature's fertilizer
I decided the best fertilizer was clover
David Hampton
David uses clover as a fertilizer for his grass. He grows 20 acres of red clover as a seed and has a monopoly on the market as currently no one else in the UK grows organic red clover for a certified seed crop.
While feeding the cows sustainably was no problem because they graze, finding alternate protein feed for the pigs required more investigation.
Pigs are the biggest problem organically, as they eat so much cereal
David Hampton
Growing alternatives
David does use some organic soy for pig feed, but also grows his own beans.
He says beans like a fairly open habitat and grow pretty quickly. Crucially, they grow ahead of the weeds and smother them.
David also feeds his pigs some full fat organic soya, as he has difficulty growing lupins and peas on his land due to the moisture and weed growth.
We have grown lupins which have a very good profile for pigs and also peas, but, as we are organic and unable to spray, their slow-growing and spreading habit meant that weeds were a problem
David Hampton
More research is definitely needed into growing alternative feeds like lupins that have both clear benefits but also associated issues.
That is one of the reasons Friends of the Earth is calling on the Government to put more money behind the effort to build a stronger local feed industry.
People-led change
David thinks that while the Government can and must do more, change has to be driven by people.
Government intervention is all very well but it has to be demand led
David Hampton
David has been doing his part in building the public case for sustainable farming and food production through public talks, speaking at Women's Institute talks amongst others.
I'm a great believer in working up your own salvation
David Hampton
