E W Davies Farms: A Century of Sustainable Arable Farming in North Essex
E W Davies Farms is a multi-generational, family-run arable and livestock business based at The Hydes near Thaxted in north Essex. The operation, which also retains a long-standing presence at Sewardstone Hall Farm near Waltham Abbey, combines modern contract farming services with an award-winning sustainability programme and a fast-growing livestock enterprise marketed under the Hydes Farming brand.
Three generations of the Davies family
The story of E W Davies Farms begins in 1913, when Edgar Walter Davies took on Sewardstone Hall Farm near Waltham Abbey, selling milk and hay into London. His son Michael, who was born on the farm in 1928 and studied agriculture at Writtle College, took over the business in the 1950s. Michael went on to become a founder member and 16-year chairman of West Essex Farmers, served on the Lee Conservancy for the NFU, chaired the flood defence committee of the Thames Water Authority (with responsibility for the Thames Barrier), and was a verderer of Epping Forest for 25 years.
Michael's son Andrew, a graduate of St John's College, Cambridge, took control in the 1970s and dramatically expanded the business. In October 1988 he purchased The Hydes at Thaxted, which has since become the company's main base. Andrew created the first contract farming partnership within the business in 2001, and continues to be involved alongside his father today. Andrew is also a proud grandfather to Hunter and Walker.
Jeremy Durrant took over day-to-day management in May 2009. Jeremy grew up on a mixed dairy and arable farm in Dorset and spent a year working on an Australian farm in 2001. He lives at The Hydes with his wife Maria and their daughters Annabelle and Matilda.
What E W Davies Farms does today
The farm's activities fall into seven broad areas:
- Contract farming
- Estate maintenance
- School, college and farmer visits
- Industrial units
- Function room hire
- Renewable energy
- Pedigree Poll Dorset sheep and contract pig rearing
Contract farming services
E W Davies Farms offers a full contract farming service, taking care of the day-to-day management of clients' land. The team works closely with each farmer, holding regular meetings, using modern machinery and precision farming techniques, and running in-house trials to maximise profitability. An independent agronomist works closely with the farm manager and clients to make informed agronomic decisions.
Long-standing partners include Spains Hall Estate in north Essex (centred on an Elizabethan house built in the 1500s), Great Clerkes Farm Foods (a free-range poultry farm producing chickens, guinea fowl, geese, ducks and turkeys), and the Heywood family at Blunts Farm, who have been EWD clients since 2001.
Estate maintenance
The team believes a farm can only function well if the wider estate is well maintained. Services offered include hedge trimming, ditching, mole draining, rabbit and stock fencing, concreting, and general building repairs and maintenance.
Hydes Farming: the livestock enterprise
Hydes Farming is the sub-business that runs the farm's pedigree Poll Dorset sheep flock. Much of the land at The Hydes had been in intensive arable production for decades, leaving organic matter low in places. Combined with the breakdown of chemistry and a lack of new herbicide alternatives, weeds such as blackgrass were becoming harder to control.
The team took an integrated approach, using grass leys with livestock to build organic matter and natural fertility. They are currently running trials with NIAB and the University of Sheffield on different types of leys using legumes and herbs, looking at the benefits for soil health, environment and livestock. The grass leys also help keep blackgrass in check.
Poll Dorsets were chosen because they are the only breed that will naturally lamb out of season. Ewes lamb in November, traditionally a quieter period on the farm, with ewes and lambs then grazed over winter on cover crops grown in front of spring barley. Lambs are ready for slaughter in time for the Easter market. The flock is registered as a pedigree flock under the prefix Hydes Poll Dorsets.
The farm also contract-rears around 1,000 pigs at a time for BQP, in a purpose-built high-welfare building completed in early 2018. Josh, who joined the team in January 2018 with a degree in agriculture from the Royal Agricultural University Cirencester, has day-to-day responsibility for both the pig unit and the sheep flock.
Renewable energy
As part of an ambition to reduce the farm's carbon footprint, E W Davies erected what is described as the first Solar Barn in the country. The building was purposefully designed to make the solar panel roof as efficient as possible, providing a large proportion of the electricity used on farm, as well as useful shed space for storing grain and fertiliser. A separate unproductive field has also been put down to solar panels, with the electricity fed directly into the grid; the same field provides summer grazing for the sheep flock.
Function room hire
The farm has a small modern function room capable of holding up to 30 people, available to hire for training days, mini-conferences and meetings. It comes equipped with a TV, overhead projector and screen, a small kitchen area with fridge (a caterer can be arranged if needed), and parking. For bookings, contact the farm office.
A LEAF Demonstration Farm
In July 2017, E W Davies Farms was officially launched as a LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming) Demonstration Farm, joining a national network of more than 40 such farms. LEAF chairman Stephen Fell introduced the organisation, while Alice Midmer, LEAF's Integrated Farm Management Manager, explained the role of a Demonstration farm, and Will Gemmill, National Head of Farming for Strutt & Parker, performed a ceremonial tree planting to mark the occasion.
All of the land farmed by E W Davies has achieved LEAF Marque accreditation, the highest achievable standard, and the business currently has six active Countryside Stewardship schemes in place. The farm completes the LEAF Sustainable Farming Review every year to help focus on reducing its carbon footprint.
Visitors to the farm may spot resident owls or one of more than 60 species of farmland birds recorded on site. Local photographer and wildlife enthusiast Nicholas Smith spent a year on the farm capturing its residents and visitors, and a large gallery of his work is featured in the Wildlife on the Farm collection.
Education and farm visits
The team believes strongly in sharing knowledge about where food comes from.
Primary education
The farm hosts regular visits from local primary schools throughout the year, teaching children about how a modern farm operates.
Higher education
Every autumn the team runs a programme with agriculture students at Writtle College, taking them through farming methods at different stages of the growing season. Sessions are run with the support of agronomist Steve Baldock of Prime Agriculture and other partner businesses. Some students return to spend a harvest with the farm, and occasionally a vacancy opens up for a student to spend a full year on site.
The team
The core team at The Hydes is:
- Michael Davies - founder's son, third-generation family member and former chair of West Essex Farmers; still involved with the business today.
- Andrew Davies - third-generation family member, who purchased The Hydes in 1988 and created the first contract farming partnership in 2001.
- Jeremy Durrant - farm manager since May 2009.
- Alan Law - longest-serving team member, started at The Hydes aged 17 in 1973; spends much of his time driving the Case Quadtrac.
- Keith Barnard - grew up on the farm at Waltham Abbey; responsible for the farm and commercial units there.
- Josh Bennett (also listed as Owen Burdett) - joined January 2018; responsible for the pig unit and the sheep flock.
Products available from the farm
E W Davies sells a small range of farm produce and services directly from The Hydes. Prices are available on enquiry.
Lamb boxes
Premium lamb from the Hydes Poll Dorset flock is sold in meat boxes each spring, with the team noting the boxes are available at a discount to supermarket prices. Supply depends on the season and on the success of the November lambing. Enquiries should be directed to the farm office.
Function room hire
The 30-seat function room is available to hire for meetings, training days and small conferences. Parking is included.
Latest news from the farm
Recent news covers the farming year in detail:
- Harvest 2017, 2018 - variable seasons, with dry weather ripening crops prematurely and an early start in 2018; a new MacDon header featured in a Farming Photography video.
- Sugar beet harvest - 31 ha lifted in October 2017 with two harvesters, yielding 80 t/ha, with the beet sent to the Bury factory.
- Sugar beet drilling and cover crops - the importance of cover crops for organic matter and as winter feed for ewes and lambs.
- Maize drilling - introduction of a Vaderstad Tempo precision planter used for sugar beet, maize, soya and rape.
- Maize harvesting - good yields after a dry spring and slow start; the crop was followed with early wheat.
- Rape drilling - a return to rape after several years, drilled with the Tempo into a grass field returning to the arable rotation.
- Soya beans - a multi-farm UK viability trial with growers in Suffolk and Norfolk; although some plots suggested 3 t/ha was possible, the team concluded the timing was not right to continue.
- Lambing - November lambing of the Poll Dorset flock, with detailed updates on the 2017 season and the 2017 lambing shed routine.
- Lambs reach weight in record time - February 2018 update noting the first lambs were sent to the local abattoir.
- Pigs at The Hydes - announcement of the new high-welfare pig building completed in March 2018.
- First load of fat pigs leave The Hydes - July 2019 update; 150 pigs sent on a lorry to target weights.
- Rams running with the ewes - June/July update, with two new ram lambs added including Blackhill Bart.
- Hedgerow planting - 2,500 metres of new hedgerows planted over five years, with another 500 metres added in winter 2017/18.
- Maintaining the farm's hedges - winter work managing tens of kilometres of hedges and ditches.
- Autumn drilling - wheat, barley, oilseed rape, linseed, beans, winter oats and spring oats, plus sugar beet and 60 ha of cover crops.
- A new year starts with Writtle College - the annual student visit programme, focusing in 2017 on crop establishment and Controlled Traffic Farming.
- LEAF Demonstration Farm launch - the official July 2017 launch.
Jobs and vacancies
Every harvest, E W Davies Farms takes on students. Past harvest students, such as Andy Gemmill and Ben Chilvers (harvest 2015), have progressed to driving the Fendt 828 with chaser bin, the Lexion 780 combine, trailed and self-propelled sprayers, and even undertaking some drilling.
The most recent vacancy listed was for a Harvest/Cultivations operator for harvest 2021, requiring experience of large machinery and GPS technology, a minimum age of 18, a full clean driving licence, and a rough-terrain tele-handler certificate. A single bedroom in a shared flat was available on farm. Applications were made by emailing CVs to the office or calling 07841 418823.
Events
The farm hosts occasional events and training days. The most recent event advertised was the BASIS Introduction to IFM and LEAF Marque Training, held at E W Davies on 25 - 26 September 2019 in partnership with LEAF. New events, including occasional Open Farm Sunday and lambing-day visits, are publicised when scheduled.
Contact and how to find E W Davies Farms
- Address: The Hydes, Thaxted, Dunmow, Essex, CM6 3QB
- Telephone: +44 (0) 1799 586585
- Mobile (recruitment): 07841 418823
- Website: ewdaviesfarms.co.uk
- Facebook: /EWDaviesFarms
- Instagram: @ewdaviesfarms
- Twitter: @ewdaviesfarms
A live feed from the farm's own weather station is available on the Weather page.