Having ceased its commercial beef enterprise and switched to energy crop Miscanthus, a family farm in West Somerset is now reaping the benefits of a hands-off arable crop with low input costs and long term, guaranteed returns.

Faced with the increasing threat of BSE, Foot & Mouth and TB, the Farrington family made the decision to shift its focus from cattle farming in search of other, more stable income streams. Having reduced its workforce as a result, the farm had fewer resources to hand, so the option of a low input crop was particularly desirable. 

Grower John Farrington says: “At the time, wheat prices were low, so we needed to find a solution that would make real business sense for our farm. With Miscanthus, not only were there very few input costs, its low-maintenance nature meant it needed less attention than our other arable crops, so we could dedicate our time to other important farm projects. In fact, Miscanthus is so hands-off that we deliberately planted some of our crop on hard-to-access outlying fields, as we only need to send in a harvester once a year.”

Of its 220 hectares, the Farrington family has planted a significant 50 hectares of Miscanthus cane across both arable and grassland, and is enjoying high annual yields for its harvested crop. Despite the temperamental weather of recent years, the Farrington’s Miscanthus has flourished in both wet and dry conditions and will continue to deliver solid returns for 20+ years.

“One thing we have learnt along the way is, it pays to keep baled crop dry,” continues John. “Unfortunately last year a number of our bales were ruined by particularly bad weather, even under sheeting. This year, we’ve built a new multi-purpose shed to house all of our bales until collection, with the added benefit that we can put the shed to other uses for the rest of the year. We certainly see the building as a worthwhile investment, as ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality dry crop means we’ll continue to benefit from best prices and best profits.”

The Farrington family has a long-standing index-linked contract with Terravesta, which ensures a continued, secure market for all crop produced as well as expert support at every stage of the process.

William Cracroft-Eley, chairman at Terravesta, adds: “The Farringtons were ahead of the curve when they first planted Miscanthus back in 2003. Ten years on we’ve seen the biggest surge in planting applications yet, as more and more farmers spot the strong profit opportunities of the UK’s no.1 homegrown energy crop. For the Farringtons, it has been the perfect fit, helping them transition successfully from cattle farming, whilst delivering the security of yearly returns with very little maintenance.”

Terravesta is now offering best-ever prices of £73+ per tonne for 2014 crop and secure ten-year, RPIX-linked growing contracts. Its new Grower Fuel Loop scheme also offers contracted growers the unique opportunity to buy back pellets as heat from up to 50% of their planting area, at a heavily discounted rate – benefiting from a truly sustainable, homegrown biomass heating resource.

For more information on Miscanthus or to talk to one of the experts, please contact Terravesta at www.terravesta.com or on 01522 731 873.