Farm shops like Brookvale are helping to make this Christmas special for customers

Rural insurer, NFU Mutual has conducted research which found nine out of 10 shoppers favour the friendly service provided at farm shops and local retailers.

Seventy per cent of people surveyed believe farm shops offer fresher, better quality produce.

In the true spirit of Christmas, eight out of 10 people who plan to use farm shops are doing so to support local businesses and the economy.

Environmental concerns are another reason many shoppers plan to buy local farm produce.

Meanwhile, two-thirds of the people surveyed said they prefer farm shops because they provide food from sustainable sources with lower ‘food miles’.

Brookvale Farm Shop in County Down is just one of the many shops helping to make this Christmas special.

High animal welfare standards and commitment to sustainability are making Brookvale Farm’s dairy products a firm favourite with customers in Northern Ireland.

Located near Dromore, Brookvale Farm and shop is run by husband and wife Richard and Pamela Lilburn.

Their family has been involved in farming for over 100 years.

At the centre of the business is the farm’s 250-strong herd.

The cows are zero-grazed and milked robotically.

In recent years yard scraping, calf feeding and other processes have been automated, however, this hasn’t changed the farm’s emphasis on welfare and the personal touch, with livestock’s wellbeing carefully checked throughout the day.

With Christmas shopping already underway, the farm shop is bulging with its own produce, together with produce from neighbouring farms and bread from a bakery down the road.

New for Christmas is a range of festive hampers stocked with produce from Brookvale and local suppliers!

Richard explained the farm’s mission to achieve for ultra-low-carbon use.

“Everything we sell comes from our farm or local suppliers – potatoes, from the field next door, cheese and milk from our farm, local suppliers for the other Christmas goodies,” he revealed.

“A new vending machine venture has also been launched as part of the farm’s drive to encourage people to buy locally produced food.

“The machine supplies gently pasteurised milk from the farm’s own herd in re-usable glass bottles.”

Reducing the dairy’s carbon footprint is the driving force behind future plans for the business.

Richard and Pamela strive to source everything, from goods for the shop to feed for the cattle, from suppliers as close to them as possible to reduce trucking miles.

Out in the fields, all the family is engaged in carefully planting new trees in places where they will thrive and support wildlife.

Their work planting hedgerows means that every field on the farm now has a hedge boundary.

Their passion has been transmitted to seven-year-old son Theo who is already an active member of his schools eco committee!

Richard’s environmental work goes beyond his own farm gate.

He’s working with firms including Glanbia, Pizza Hut, and Domino, to help them become more environmentally friendly.

“I think a lot of people don’t realise farmers are passionate about protecting and improving the environment,” Richard added.

“In fact, our decision to open the farm shop came about through a discussion about selling food close to where it is grown rather than transporting it thousands of miles.

“And, it’s a win-win for customers because they all say our fresh local produce tastes a lot better than what’s on sale in the supermarkets.

“We’ve been humbled by the way people are supporting what we’re doing here.

“The milk vending enterprise was only supposed to be a small-scale thing and we were amazed to sell 40,000 bottles in the first six months.

“We’re also reducing packaging wherever possible.

“Recycled jars are used for the jam we sell and milk bottles are reused time after time.

“Every time that happens, one less plastic carton going to landfill.”

Rebecca Davidson, rural affairs specialist at NFU Mutual, commented: “Christmas is all about spreading good cheer and farm shops provide that in abundance with friendly service, great locally-grown produce and a relaxed atmosphere.

“It’s great to see so many people planning to use farm shops this Christmas after the huge amount of work they put in to stay open and rose to the challenge of massive demand through the pandemic lockdowns.

“Whether farm shops delivered fresh produce to a vulnerable customer, sourced local flour for home bakers, or were there for a friendly chat over the counter at a lonely time – these rural retailers transformed their businesses and came into their own over Coronavirus.”

As part of its ongoing support for farmers, NFU Mutual works in partnership with the Farm Retail Association (FRA) sharing advice and supporting events to help those setting up a farm shop enterprise.

Rob Copley, chairman of the Farm Retail Association, stated: “It’s terrific to hear there’s a real sense of loyalty from the public for their local farm retailer, which will continue through the festive season.

“Farm retailers are at the heart of the community and they came into their own during Covid, adapting their space quickly to keep their staff and customers safe.

“People felt safer, they built up a trust and lockdowns lasted for such a long period that it has changed shopping habits that will be here to stay.

“Anecdotally. we hear that numbers are up across the board with more customers than ever preferring to shop at their local farm retailer and it’s heartening to hear these statistics confirm this.

“We look forward to welcoming the public through our doors for their Christmas shopping over what will be our busiest period and we can’t thank them enough for their continued support,” he ended.