FARMLAND that was previously used as a youth offenders hub has been transformed into a modern family farm complete with a cafe and butchers shop.
Back in the 1960s and 70s, farmland on Winwick Road in Newton-le-Willows was used as a community space by the Red Bank Secure Unit, which offered young offenders a second chance and an opportunity to gain practical skills in farming.
After this programme was abandoned, the farmland lay derelict for decades until Angela and Gary Watkinson decided to take over the premises in the early 2000s and bring up their young family there.
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With Angela and Gary moving into Red Farm in a static caravan with their three young children, it is a world away from how it looked more than twenty years ago.
Slowly but surely, the family has utilised 26 acres of farmland to sustainably grow its crops and produce, which includes barley, wheat, and grass, as well as the rearing of more than a hundred cattle and around forty pigs.
A well-oiled machine, the farm ensures that its beef and pork is matured before it is sold directly to the public at its in-house butchers shop.
Acting as a one-stop shop to compete with supermarkets and other butchers, the farm also provides locally sourced chicken and lamb as well as homemade pies, tasty jams, fruit and vegetables, and more.
To further encourage the public to visit the farm and try their products, the family also launched a cafe and coffee shop in 2016, which acts as a welcoming space for customers to grab a hot drink or bite to eat.
As the three Watkinson children, Nicola, Joanne, and Craig, have grown up and led the diversification of the farm, Angela said this has been necessary to offset the many challenges that has faced the farming industry in recent years.
Angela, originally from Golborne, said: “The butchers and coffee shop has been great for us as it allows us to sell directly to the public and meet our customers, rather than taking cattle to market.
”Newton has a great community and so many people have come in and returned to the farm, so we do have a great rapport with our customers.
”But I’d say this is where we have diversified to offset the ups and downs of farming, as many farmers have had to diversify over the years.”
The ups and downs of farming inevitably includes the weather, which has always been an unpredictability that farmers have had to try and manage.
However, more recently there has been increasing struggles during the cost of living crisis as the cost of food, energy and fuel - all necessary components to run a working farm - has skyrocketed.
Protests have also sparked on farms across the country in recent months, as concerns have grown about cheaper and often unregulated produce which comes from abroad.
Angela added: “There is a an awful lot of work that goes on behind the scenes in farming, as there is in other businesses, that people aren’t often aware of.
”We work all year round to look after our crops and make sure we are sustainable and environmentally friendly.
”We are also a part of the Red Tractor and Farm Share schemes so that customers know that our products are ethically produced.
”There is a lot of money and paperwork which goes into this, which is why people are concerned as most farmers want to adhere to this, but we aren’t sure the imported produce has adhered to the same rules.
”This has gone on for years but it is just another thing that we have to adapt to, while making sure we always provide ethical and high quality produce.”
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