Our family farm and my home is in Penkridge, Staffordshire. We are the third generation of Bowers to rear crops and animals at Lower Drayton Farm.
Growing for a living: food, fuel and innovation
We have 250 commercial beef cattle based around a commercial sucker herd of 65 cows.The suckler herd is sired by pedigree Aberdeen Angus and Hereford bulls. All animals are sold deadweight to the supermarket trade.
We grow 200ha of cereals, mainly wheat and oilseed rape. This is established using strip tillage cultivations. Digestate is used to fertilise all crops.
The latest developments on the farm include strip tillage crop establishment and an Anaerobic Digester to produce biogas from animal manures and CO2 for pharmaceutical and beverage industries.
Combining production with conservation
Our farm is in Higher Level Stewardship. Four hectares of woodland were planted in 1998. The farm is Red Tractor beef, lamb and cereals assured.
Sharing farming with our community
We open the farm for Open Farm Sunday each year. We also regularly host school visits. As an additional attraction we also have a fun farm which includes a maize maze for people to enjoy.
Our farm is home to two other businesses: Staffordshire Rural Support and Chase Aqua Rural Enterprise.
Having these businesses on the farm highlights to us how UK agriculture can offer mental health and wellbeing services for society alongside food production, environmental conservation and enhancement.