Family farm wins praise for successful diversification
A MONMOUTHSHIRE family farm that has diversified into butchery and baking has been praised by NatWest’s director of agriculture Roddy McLean.
The Parsons Nose in Dingestow, near Raglan, produces over 7,000 free-range sausages, pies and burgers every week from its 100acre site in rural Monmouthshire.
Mr McLean paid a special visit to the farm to learn more about the 200-year-old business, which has been supported by NatWest through funding and its sector specialist team.
Led by principal partner Andrew Dobson, the farm is home to over 32,000 free-range hens, 200 pedigree large black pigs, 50 pedigree Hereford and Dexter cows, and 10 pedigree Ryland sheep.
Mr McLean, who joined the farm’s team in helping make some of their award-winning beefburgers, said the business was a thriving example of a farm using diversification to build stability and growth.
He said: “It’s fantastic to see a farm like The Parsons Nose doing so well. Our ambition at NatWest is to provide more farms in Wales with the footing they need to build resilience and productivity into their businesses. In doing so, they can position their farms so that they are stronger, more stable and future-fit.
“Andrew and his team have worked diligently to achieve what they have and we have been pleased to support them in their journey and be their finance partner of choice.”
Mr Dobson said: “It was wonderful to meet with Roddy at our farm and show him how we have diversified the business to where it stands today.
“He seemed really interested in what we were doing with regards to our livestock, employees and produce, and was very knowledgeable about the issues affecting farms in Monmouthshire and the rest of Wales.
“NatWest have been extremely supportive in helping us grow as a business and we’re looking forward to working with the bank even more in the future.”
The farm has been supported by Maria Williams, NatWest Cymru senior relationship manager, who is a specialist in the agriculture sector.
Ms Williams said: “We’re very proud to support farms like The Parsons Nose and work closely with them to ensure they have the funding and input they need to drive success.
“We support 25% of Welsh farming businesses with funding of more than £175m and we want to help more.
“It is a challenging time for farming in Wales, but with our support we believe we can help more farms enjoy the stability and success of rural businesses like The Parsons Nose.”