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DAILY EXPRESS-
Growing a business for life, not just for christmas:
Every day has a festive ring for Reg Hendy since he branched out from being a struggling farmer to grow Christmas trees, His Langford Lakes Christmas Tree Farm has been doing it’s best business
This season, with turnover up 20 per cent to £40,000.
“Diversifying was the best thing I ever did,” says the sixty year old from Wellington, Somerset,
Who sold 1800 trees during his first weekend of trading this November.Hendy had always worked repairing farm machinery to make end meet but profit margins were dropping fast when
He took the plunge in 1993 and planted a few trees instead of Potatoes on his 30-
Encouraged by another experienced grower, he also followed advice to go for the quality end of
The market. “Even back then you could see people were willing to pay more for healthy,
good-
Looking trees with needles that didn’t drop” he says. So Hendy planted the needle-
Fir which, although stunning to look at, requires plenty of attention while it is growing and,more
Importantly, takes six to seven years to mature.
With 50,000 trees on 15 acres he has almost reached capacity but he is in a growing market ?
More than 7 million were sold in th e UK last year.
Hendy’s move has meant he has an income that, while seasonal, is within his control and is not a
Potential victim of vagaries of subsidies or quotas.
“The more of the farm I turned over to trees, the less money we had coming in but the point was I could see an end to it, that profit was profitable,” he says “before it was just a downward slide”
“However , to invest in a product you won’t see a return on for seven years does take confidence”
Hendy has invested £40,000 during the 11 years since making the switch.
He always intended to make a go the land he bought in 1973,”because I bought this farm ,perhaps
It was easier to change direction,” he says “small farmers, the one’s who have been squeezed the
Most, keep puttiin off the hard decision-
Have failed to make it work and cling on”, Langford Lakes sells to a 25-
Most of the trees change hands at the farm gate.” I prefer to keep the profits rather than go
Through a garden centre”, trees range from £5 to £150, from container six-
Giants. Making tne growing of the trees an attraction in its own right is part Hendy’s marketing
Strategy. The farm held its first open day I September with 400 visitors.
“I wanted people to appreciate what it means to have a proper tree, now we find the story of the
Farm is a draw in itself”, Support from Nat West ‘s Taunton branch has made a big contribution
To Hendy’s success, with a loan to expand the busineee and general advice.
“The manager comes out to the farm ,I can talk over things and get ideas ,especially
about diversifying, He always buys a tree too. With the christmas developing well,
Hendy is movinf on with other changes to ensure the business’s long term stability.
His sons Shaun and Nick, work for the farm which also provides course fishing on
4 lakes.In January they will start offering short breaks with log cabins for hire.”The
aim is to achieve all-
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