The agricultural side of the business is focused at Haguelands Farm on the Romney Marsh. This covers an area of 1500 Ha. and the main crops are wheat, oil-seed rape, oats, beans, linseed along with covercrops.
The farm is part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (administered by DEFRA) under which the land is managed in an environmentally beneficial way, taking into account wildlife, landscape and history.
Wildlife Sanctuary
In approx. 1970, five Romney Marsh farmers decided to illustrate that farming and wildlife can co-exist in harmony. They each donated a parcel of land, the whole amounting to some 150 acres of wetland habitat. This area has been cordoned off and is surrounded by arable farming land where the crops mentioned above are grown. There is a warden to keep an eye on things and, over the years, it has become a sanctuary for flora, fauna and, in particular, birds. There are rare birds like the Marsh Harrier as well as the more usual wetland birds such as geese, swans, teal, ducks and moorhens, all within sight and sound of normal farming activities using machinery for sowing, harvesting etc. It would seem that the point has been made!
