Cobrey Farms
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Cobrey Farms is a family partnership of Mr John Chinn and his wife Mrs Gay Chinn and their son Henry. John Chinn is the managing partner in the business that is primarily involved in arable farming. Gay Chinn runs the farm office. Their son Henry joined the family team as Business Manager in 1999, having graduated from Nottingham University and gained commercial experience as a farm business consultant in East Anglia.
History
& Philosophy
The Chinn family started farming at Cobrey Farm in 1925 when Wilfred Chinn took on the tenancy of 50ha (125 acres) from Guy’s Hospital. His son, Bill, bought the farm in 1957 and had built the business up to 182ha (450 acres) of owner occupied farm under the partnership name of Cobrey Farms, by 1975 when his son, John, came home to the farm from Nottingham University. As the acreage expanded, potato quota was purchased, sugar beet was introduced in 1978, onions in 1983 and carrots in 1996. The
farms main enterprises are now potatoes, asparagus and broiler chickens. The
rotation also supports crops of cereals, oilseed rape and herbage
seed.
Cobrey Farms TodayThe
partnership owns 395ha (975 acres) near Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire and, in
addition, rents/manages in excess of 600ha
(1500 acres). The
home farm runs for two miles up an old meander valley of the River Wye. The
south facing slopes within the sheltered valley are ideal for early crop
production. A strong
brook now runs through the valley and is of great value for irrigation. The
other main block of owned land - Walford Court Farm - is a more open, level
block of Grade 2 arable land. Some 140ha (350 acres) of land is rented around
the town of Monmouth and 377ha
(930 acres) are contract farmed; 243ha (600 acres) at How Caple, Herefordshire,
135ha (333 acres) at Symonds Yat, Ross-on-Wye. The remainder of the arable
acreage is taken on one year cropping agreements for potato production.
The annual rainfall of 70cm (28”) is relatively low as the area is sheltered
by the Black Mountains. Much
of the land in the valley is steeply sloping Grades 2 and 3 sandy loam soil. The
steepest sections are either woodland or permanent pasture.
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Site Updated 10th October 2008 cultivating quality... |
