Farmer gutted as contractor error wipes out asparagus crop

Wirral farmer Andrew Pimbley has been left devastated after 1ha of asparagus at Claremont Farm, Bebington, was accidentally ploughed up, wiping out a key crop just as it was entering its first full production season.

The asparagus crowns were destroyed when a contractor mistakenly ploughed beyond the intended boundary while preparing land.

“These crowns had been in the ground for three years – this was their big year,” said Mr Pimbley. “When it sinks in, it’s tough to take. It’s not like we could just plant it again. This is going to take three years.”

See also: Why vegetables are making a return to Kent arable farm

The ground had been sprayed off for weeds ahead of the season, leaving it looking bare, but the asparagus crowns were lying dormant below the surface.

“If you’re busy or tired, you just see everything that’s sprayed off and you think you’re going into a bare field,” Mr Pimbley said.

Long-term loss

The loss extends far beyond a single season. Asparagus is a long‑term perennial crop that can remain productive for more than a decade, meaning years of income and planning have been lost overnight.

The destruction of the crop has also had an immediate impact on staff, with two workers now without the spring work they would normally rely on during the asparagus harvesting period.

The family‑run, 81ha tenanted holding has been farmed since 1906 and has evolved from a traditional mixed farm into a complex rural enterprise combining horticulture, retail, food service and events.

Andrew Pimbley with an earlier, successful crop © Andrew Pimbley

“We used to be a mixed farm but we then got rid of the animals probably 40 or 50 years ago,” Mr Pimbley said. “It was my grandfather who visited America and saw farmgate sales direct to the public, so he started the pick‑your‑own enterprise.”

Today, the business includes a farm shop and café, pick‑your‑own fruit and flowers, pumpkins, a fishery, outdoor theatre, live events, weddings, and supply to local shops and restaurants.

Asparagus sits at the heart of that model, marking the point when the farm moves out of its winter lull.

“The asparagus, when that kicks off, that lifts the whole farm,” Mr Pimbley said. “It comes into the farm shop, it goes on to the café menu – it’s everywhere.”

“It’s not just the nice asparagus, it’s all the offcuts, the soup, the café dishes. It’s intertwined with everything we do here.”

Cashflow crisis

The timing has compounded existing pressures, including rising wages, energy costs and business rates.

“It’s happened at the worst possible time when we just needed that cash to come in,” he said. “It is devastating.”

Replacement crowns are now being planted elsewhere on the farm, but the business faces several seasons without one of its most valuable crops.

Mr Pimbley is trying to source asparagus from local farms to make up for some of the shortfall.