Author: Mike Stanbridge

Well,  it’s January so less of a starting BANG and more of a fizzle.

Was back at the farm today and the top inch or so is really wet.   It’s hard to believe that beneath that is still really dry.   All the rain we’ve had and it’s still not really soaking in.   That means it’s all running of,  causing chaos and not really doing much good to our crops.

It also means that the drive is getting beaten up again,  rain really kills it, so I know that next time I’m at the farm some shovelling will be needed.   Hopefully I’ll have some help but,  any volunteers?  Hopefully this winter will be the last one for repairs as I’m expecting to surface the drive, before that however I need to finish the demolition and move the electrics, this requires some digging of the farmyard.

So,  today was about setting up for the year.  It’s great to see that James (sparky) has started on the kiosk to allow National Power Networks to build their kiosk and move their termination point.  

This then enables the rest of the old Granary to be cleared and our new grainstore created.   It also means that ALL the electricity supply lines for ALL the farm buildings need redoing.  That means the old spray shed will become a plantroom which means it needs clearing.  This meant clearing the old wearing parts from long sold equipment,  I’m hoping that the scrap man will do a good deal,  however if you have an old dowdswell plough let me know as these points etc are going cheap.

So that was my day, preparing for the activities of the new year and doing some general tidying.

Oh, I also fitted the concrete counterweight to the mf35, uncovered the old IBM pet computer and archimedes, cleared more of the old woodshed…

A good day.

I’ll be back soon,  if you’re interested in seeing or learning more let me know.   Maybe we could do a quick tour…

I love the first picture,  our old tractor looking through the old barn and out to the future.  It felt quite good taking it,  particularly after I’d just managed to work out how to get the 1960’s bucket technology to work (Derek always did it so that knowledge had been lost).

2025 started out really stressful, new tenant’s in the barn,  major cashflow challenges as we juggled business expenses and the Lodge refurbishment.   Help arrived in the form of a payment in relation to the development land but we were skating on thin ice and relying on the goodwill of our suppliers for a fair while (thanks to Tim, Lee, Mercer and Hole, Olivers and Wilkin Chapman for their flexibility).  But we got it done.

Then we managed to look to the future with positivity, Steve and Tobi achieved something wonderful in the glamping,  Neil with the Dog training too.  We also managed a Trust review/launch and a “secret project no 1” meeting.   It was great having a moment to breathe and see what could be.  Then the hamster wheel restarted…

The autumn has been quite manic, approving the development approach, working out plans (and cash) for:

• Granary refurbishment
• Water treatment plant
• Infrastructure (electricity, water, Internet)
• Glamping planning
• Driveway resurface

All that on top of running the business.

I’m pleased to say that I can actually breathe going into the Christmas break now and am not fearful of the challenges that are coming (I really was last year).

So,  what do I expect for 2026?  I’ll admit to being quite wary of the first few months as I’m afraid of the possible backlash from the local community about our planning application.   I hope they are sympathetic as it’s our pragmatic future and not our preferred future.   Beyond that I’m hoping that we can finish all the above in the early part of the year and maybe even start to refurbish the house; That we can get planning for a permanent campsite and that Tobi and Steve return with renewed energy.   I’m hoping that plans for the haybarn can solidify – bakery,  coffee shop,  gym? (I’ll ask for ideas when planning is submitted so you can see the scale of the opportunity).  I’m also excited that “secret project no 1” gathers momentum, thanks for your continued enthusiasm Matt & Jamie.    It’s also amazing to have a potential “secret project no 2”, something I’m equally thrilled about (shhhhh Nick, Alex, Phoebe), it would be another opportunity to support the development of kids,  something my whole family is passionate about.

Separately I’m hoping that we can have a few events with Herts and Essex trail riders.  Once again an opportunity to help open up the countryside to a different demographic and to encourage the development of skills across all ages.

In conclusion, 2025 at the farm came in 3 parts (hard, filled with opportunity then structured).  2026 feels as though the structure will continue,  the changes be consolidated and maybe we can start to see the fruits of all this work?

We (Dad and I) hope that you can all look back at 2025 with a smile, even a wry one,  and wish all of you a prosperous 2026. 

Please do come and visit us and if you do have any questions about what we’re doing or why then just ask.   Suggestions appreciated too.

Three different activities but all covered by the same word…

House planning, a detailed review of the forthcoming outline development application for the farm.   A great report prepared by Alistair and it’s good to know that our requirements have been – predominantly- covered.

Glamping, Alistair was helping me here.   Hopefully an application for the summer will be submitted soon.   A permanent site with 5 large tents, 6 smaller ones along with coffee shop etc.  The interesting thought was that it might be beneficial to planning if we move the old woodshed as it will display the house better… 

Farm planning – some thoughts on how we move forward with a listed barn and also how our hay barn might compliment the forthcoming development.   We’re thinking about a farm shop to serve the new residents but i have no idea where to start to achieve that!

Then the more practical, had a great chat with Nick from Farrbrew about how we’ll move the electricity supply, really great to have a collaborative tenant as the power move will likely cause a little disruption.

At the moment the “masterplan” for the yard looks like this.   It might change tomorrow though.

I was playing with the entrance to the farmyard today.  We’d had some health and safety feedback that routes, walk paths etc weren’t clear, so as we’re welcoming more people inexperienced in tractors etc I’ve tried to make things clearer with an island and discrete bollards…

Anyway, do you prefer the older or newer version of a “Stanbridge Farms” gate guardian?

Hopefully this encourages people towards the brewery and away from the house (and house visitors to park more neatly).  What do you think?

In other news I’ve started to clear the old spray shed so it can become our plant room.   This is after a planning meeting with Lee and James to work out the flow of electricity cables etc.   James also had a drive of the old tractor and had a huge grin while doing it.   Believe it or not it took more persuasion to get him into it than out of it…

Otherwise I spent the day tinkering, agreeing an approach for some legal challenges for a critical agreement re the housing development, digging out the snow plough (just in case) and starting to get the bucket ready to fit on the old tractor, also had a great chat with Mum and enjoyed showing her progress and talking about what’s coming in 2026.

On the way out I saw this and had to stop to take a picture:

It was so gorgeous and so lovely to see life in the cottage that I accidentally scared the tenants as I clumsily tried to talk about “the lights” (they were scared I was going to ask them to remove them).  We left on good terms and I’m sorry for any worries caused.   I am so pleased to have these guys, they have added life and magic to the old bungalow.

Stanbridge Farms is now a proud shirt sponsor of Cambridge Rugby Club (colts).

It’s great to be able to support such a prestigious club and to help the development of young rugby players.

Cambridge Rugby Clubs history begins in 1923 and was formed on a promise on a beach between friends in WW1.  Our values are similar as we try to develop a legacy of youth and environmental development for the future.

I believe that businesses should stay current,  should evolve to meet market needs.   I’ve made a career out of improving supply chains.

But this article has made me think…

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/25639115.charlotte-gurney-farmers-forced-diversify/https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/25639115.charlotte-gurney-farmers-forced-diversify/

Dad used to supplement the farm/family income by teaching,  Mum did the same as a physio.  This was the world I grew up in…

But is it right? Is it right that the production of good food should be a hobby,  something that’s done for fun?  Is it right that countryside stewardship (including the maintenance of footpaths, hedges, dry stone walls) that delivers so much for mental health is so devalued that second jobs are needed?

I thank Charlotte Gurney for this article and hope that you will read it and – while doing so – think about the importance of the countryside to you and the criticality of the food on your plate.

Quite often I leave the farm feeling as though I haven’t done our achieved much.   Yesterday felt the same until I reflected:

• Fitted a new security camera overlooking the new farmyard
• Reviewed progress on the removal of the old grain storage silos and agreed the next steps for the new floor storage
• Had an excellent two hour meeting regarding our contract farming agreement.   This is a regular review chaired by Ed & Greg from Ceres Rural and is really helpful to make sure that we remain aligned with Geoff (our contract farmer) and talk about the right things at the right times.   This time we focused on the overall performance of the farm for harvest ’25 (better than the Hertfordshire average, well done Geoff!) and the marketing – therefore cashflow – strategy for ’26.
• Dad and I then spoke with the equally excellent Alistair on progress of the housing development planning application (we do miss you John, but as you said Alistair is a really excellent replacement).  I always find these conversations bittersweet and see it as my role to make sure any housing leaves a positive legacy… I think Alistair likely has his work cut out in softening my comments and making them constructive.
• Then a bit of fun,  a good chat with Herts and Essex trail riders with the potential of hosting a few events with them.   I’m quite enthused by this as it encourages kids development and the enjoyment of the countryside, let’s hope this works out.

So… a quiet day?

As I look back over the above I look at the team we have helping us move forward.   There really are some excellent professionals involved (thats just today),  all of whom give excellent council in a fun way.   Thank you all,  Dad and I would be lost without you.

P.s.  The same sentiments apply to Lee, Jonty, Tobi, Steve and others.  I just didn’t talk to them today.

In the early 1970’s we installed a state of the art grain processing plant on the farm.  It could handle an almost magical 8tonnes of wheat an hour.  Dad and Derek spent days bolting it together and it,  along with the building it lives in, became a major landmark of the farm, an indicator of modern thinking and farming investment.

Today we started taking it down.

8t/hr simply won’t cut it.  Geoff’s combine will comfortably bring in 20t/hr.  The modern combine even cleans it of dust and chaff to an equivalent standard of the 1970’s kit.   It’s also no longer acceptable for diesel to be used to dry the grain.  So,  for the last 5 years it’s sat idle.  Worse than that it’s been taking up space that could otherwise be used for storage, something we’re short of now we’ve got the brewery on site.

So,  it has to go.   I’ve found making the decision really hard as it’s literally taking apart my father and grandfather’s legacy something I seem to be doing in a variety of different ways…

I think I’m doing the right thing for the business but have a huge feeling of reticence in doing so.

As part of this progress we’re turning the barn around, ensuring that farm use is kept away from the more public areas and allowing Dad’s house to be more of a private space.   We’ve also cleared behind the old hay barns and tidied the back meadow significantly.

It’s a massive change!

Now we’re more public facing the grounds appearance has become much more of a “thing”.  We’ve been mowing the various grass areas,  entrance way etc using a combination of a garden husqvana and a 1960 MF35 (my favourite tractor).  Neither are the right tool for the job and both have reliability challenges.

We had a demo of this today.   Do we buy it?

My thinking is that it’s bigger,  faster,  uses red diesel (so cheaper to operate) is designed for commercial operations and has a good design to cope with our banked slopes.

My grandfather had a saying “as a farmer you need to learn to do 6 days work in 3, and 3 days work in 6.”  In other words, work flat out in the busy times and accept the quieter times with grace.

Farming wise we’re in a watching mode,  hoping that mother nature gives us the right amount of rain to support our young plants. Not too much to drown them,  not to little so they don’t get the nutrients they need to prosper.

To keep his team busy Geoff and team have cleared behind an old hay barn,  there is so much room!  We’re going to temporarily move in a few local tradespeople with storage and skips etc.  Will keep the site active over winter, improve security and bring a little money in.

The pause in arable work also means there’s an opportunity to plan for the next few months and as always we have some big plans.  On this visit we:

• Agreed a plan for a container coffee shop to become a hub for the glamping, hopefully open to the public too (subject to all sorts of challenges,  planning etc)
• Worked out what we’re going to do with moving the power “head” so we can progress the demolition of the inside of the barn
• Discussed drainage with the brewery,  this one has been a headache for us all and we really need to fix it quickly
• Reviewed plans for the new houses.  Annoyingly we didn’t have our big meeting as we didn’t have enough information.  We’ve rescheduled though
• Continued our clear out of the old woodshed, hopefully to become part of our offering around the coffee shop
• Agreed a demo of a new mower.  A kioti zero turn will soon be coming for a trial
• Reviewed and allocated actions from our health and safety review
• Tried kitebuggying on one of our wheat fields (sorry Geoff).

I’m away on holiday soon so the next update will be late November.   In the meantime if you have any thoughts,  advice, ideas,  suggestions or simply want to find out more then please do say “Hi”.