Our family business has operated from Caplor Farm, Fownhope since 1923. It was first run by Gareth Williams’ grandfather; then by his father, mother and now by Gareth himself.
Caplor was initially a 100-acre mixed farm evolving into a dairy farm with some 50 and, later, 100 cows. But a dairy unit of this size did not remain a viable proposition; and so, in 1998, the herd was sold.
We developed a contracting business involving several activities around our own and neighbouring counties, resulting in close ties with a national forage company. We dealt with customers from Cornwall to north Scotland; we even carried out some international trade.
However, time and aspirations moved on and during the 90s we took on additional land. By the ‘noughties’, we were farming just over 2,000 acres of land in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire – mostly for arable cropping and beef production. This helped create a more sustainable, balanced enterprise and boosted our evolving farming business.f
More recently, we have consolidated back to 800 acres, including 420 acres of combinable crops and 150-200 acres of potatoes annually. We carry out contract work for other farmers in the county, from grassland-associated activity to muck carting and general arable work. We are still one of the largest movers of hay and straw in the area, although the scale of this activity is greatly reduced from the heady Cotswold days.
Moreover, to maintain a link with our stock tradition, we are currently breeding a number of grass-fed pedigree Hereford cattle, from which we hope to supply others in the future.
