Struggling dairy farm branches out to find success

Pilford Farm has successfully branched out from being a traditional dairy farm

A struggling dairy farm has become a success after reinventing itself with new money-making activities.

Pilford Farm, near Wimborne in Dorset, was failing before owners Gareth Dean and his partner Julia branched out from traditional farming.

While maintaining a small herd of milking cows, the farm now hosts a summer festival and steam fair, as well as offering weekend retreats.

It is also home to pigs Trevor, Marigold, Beyonce and their piglets, while a barn next door houses 24 turkeys and a large unused cow shed has been let to a local mechanic.

The farm is also home to a number of pigs and piglets

“It’s like a little community out here," Rob Gwinnett told the BBC. "I’m part farm hand, part VW restorer, it’s a great space.”

While the small dairy herd cannot produce enough milk to be of interest to a wholesaler, it is perfect for a local cheesemaker.

As well as the summer events, a shepherd’s hut in a meadow beyond the farm house can also be hired at weekends.

“We’ve always done little bits of diversification but certainly now we do a lot more than before to allow the business to survive," said Gareth.

Rob Gwinnett works out of a large unused cow shed on the farm

But he said the changes had not come cheap.

"We’re looking at £5,000 to £6,000 a month to cover loans," he said.

"That’s obviously a millstone around our necks and interest rates have shot up too so that hasn’t helped things.”

Gareth and Julia say the changes at the farm are working

But Julia said she believed they had "turned a corner".

"People on the farm thought we were completely bonkers going back into milking but we’ve done it on a small scale and I think that works well," she said.

Gareth said it had been important to them to keep the family-run farm going.

“I didn’t want to be the third generation and basically lose it," he said.

“Family farms are suffering and having to sell off blocks of land, they get smaller and the next generation can’t make a go of it so there’s probably very good talent in the industry that has been lost because of that."