Norfolk farmers launch trail to showcase diversification

Five north Norfolk farming businesses have joined forces to encourage more visitors onto farms by creating a new attraction trail showcasing rural diversification.

The initiative links businesses offering pick-your-own flowers and fruit, a maize maze, pumpkins, Christmas trees and locally brewed beer, with an illustrated map (opens as PDF) encouraging visitors to explore multiple farms throughout the season.

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Sophie Landale and her husband Michael run a 141ha tenanted arable enterprise at Westgate Farm, near Walsingham, including 11.5ha of sunflowers.

She said the partnership allowed the businesses to pool resources while helping the public better understand farming.

“It gives people a big period of time to which they can go to these farms, meet the farmers, and experience what’s going on.

“And to also see the products they are selling, be it flowers or plums, or beer. It’s all quite different,” said Mrs Landale.

Adding value

The Landales originally introduced sunflowers as a break crop, but it has since become a successful pick-your-own attraction, opening for about two-and-a-half weeks each August before being harvested in October.

The couple have also added value by selling sunflower seed directly through local feed merchants and in small packs to visitors.

Westgate Farm sunflowers © Lloyd Birch

“We found it was a great route to market and another income stream.

“You are cutting out that middleman and selling directly,” said Mrs Landale.

She believes diversification is becoming increasingly important as farm businesses respond to financial pressures.

“You have got to look at different ways of surviving year on year.

“It’s being really proactive, but also being reactive at the same time.”

Family appeal

Among the other participants are Max and Andrea Maufe, who run Leith House Orchard on the Holkham Estate, near Burnham Overy.

Their pick-your-own orchard features about 2,500 plum trees across 40-50 varieties.

This is alongside more than 400ha of arable crops, including malting barley used to produce their own beer, which customers can sample at the family-run Norfolk Bottle Shop – another marked stop on the map.

Mr Maufe said the attraction appealed to families looking to spend time outdoors together.

“In the digital age, we’re all looking for things that we can do as a family, aren’t we?

“It’s tangible. It doesn’t involve anything digital – it’s back to your roots.”

He said collaboration between the farms would help strengthen their businesses as economic pressures on agriculture continued.

“Times ahead are only going to get harder for farming. With limited investment, it is difficult, so it’s trying to harness our collective power.”

The trail also includes The Pumpkin House near Thursford, offering a maize maze in summer and pumpkin picking during autumn; Erpingham House Farm near Erpingham, where visitors can enjoy pick-your-own peonies in spring and Christmas trees in winter; and Beck Farm near Weybourne, featuring pick-your-own dahlias.