60 years at Thrupp Farms: A farmer’s journey

When Malcolm Crisp first set foot on Thrupp Farms as a fresh-faced 15-year-old in July 1965, wheat was just £25/t and trailers held 4t.

Back then, every load he carted back to the yard felt like a small fortune – about £100 worth of grain in each haul.

Six decades on, Malcolm remains at the same farm and fields in Daventry, Northamptonshire – only the machinery and methods have changed dramatically.

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A young Malcolm Crisp © Thrupp Farms

“I hated school, so I couldn’t wait to get away,” Malcolm says.

“I’d been helping out at local farms for free on weekends and evenings, so I must have enjoyed it. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

At 75, he remains as steady and patient as ever.

He is a quietly reliable figure at Thrupp Grounds, Northamptonshire, where he has worked at the farm owned by the Adams family through five generations – from Malcolm’s first boss, Joseph Adams senior, to the current Joseph Adams, who hopes his son will continue the tradition.

Ploughing days

© Thrupp Farms

Back in the 1960s, farming was tough, hands-on work. Malcolm remembers ploughing fields with a Fordson Super Major two-wheel-drive tractor and a three-furrow plough with steel wheels.

“You always had to drop a furrow on the side, so you’d go along with two 12-inch furrows,” he explains.

Five or six of them might be ploughing at the same time. Fast forward to today, and ploughing is rare – just four fields last year.

Instead, crops are now direct-drilled straight into the soil, saving both time and money.

Machinery has come a long way too. Malcolm’s career has journeyed from old Fordsons to Ford 5000s, then County tractors, a Massey Ferguson with air conditioning (a novelty in the scorching 1976 summer), and eventually into the John Deere 8000s that were “way ahead of their time”.

© Thrupp Farms

© Thrupp Farms

Malcolm shows no signs of slowing, recently switching from corn carting to driving the combine harvester.

Today, he operates John Deere S690 combines with 40-foot headers, harvesting 890ha of continuous wheat around Daventry.

Bigger kit, fewer people

“The kit’s got bigger and the workforce smaller,” Malcolm reflects. “There used to be three, sometimes even five or six of us ploughing at once.

“Now it’s mostly just me or one other. But I still love getting out there.”

Despite the changes, some things remain constant.

Malcolm keeps busy year-round – hedgerow trimming, carting compost twice a week, and chatting with fellow farmers around the county with his camera in hand.

“If I’m not working late, I’ll go out, talk to farmers, and get some photos,” he says. It’s a passion that keeps him connected to the farming community.

Asked about advice for anyone considering a lifelong career on the land, Malcolm is straightforward.

“If you enjoy what you do, stick at it. Some people jump jobs every few months, but I wouldn’t put anyone off staying put if they like it.

“It’s done me well – I own my house, have a Range Rover Autobiography, and a bit in the bank.”

Retirement ‘on hold’

Now in his 60th year on the job (Saturday 26 July is the anniversary), Malcolm has no plans to retire.

“I don’t really want to stop. A lot of people don’t last long after they give up work,” he says.

Malcolm’s unwavering commitment and steady character have made him a treasured part of Thrupp Farms, where the Adams family hopes his story will continue for many years yet.

From burning hay in 1965 to running state-of-the-art combines today, Malcolm’s 60 years at Thrupp Grounds are a testament to a lifetime of dedication, adaptation, and love for the land – a true farming legend in his own right.