Farmer Paddy Ivens who has run a successful ‘pick-your-own’ (PYO) business from his family farm for 45 years, has picked his own moment to retire – and that is today. He says the decision was taken in principle 18 months but at 62 he is looking forward to a slightly easier life.
“The time is ripe,” he says ahead of closure of his PYO at Hill Farm, Chesterton, Peterborough.
Long weekends at work throughout the summer will be a thing of the past as he looks to be putting himself and his wife first.
“Truthfully we are fed up with not going anywhere at weekends and for example not being able to accept wedding invitations,” he says.
“It is tiring and draining when you are working 6 and a half days and even when shop is not open there is work to be done preparing, ordering, and stock taking”
Paddy says the “dodgy weather” hasn’t helped, citing issues in Poland and this week in Spain, and facing up to the UK’s wet autumn “which luckily we managed to survive”.
But there are other reasons to consider change, not least among them the fields used for PYO are being compulsory purchased in the next few years by Anglian Water for a new reservoir.
SOME LAND IS BEING BOUGHT FOR NEW RESERVOIR
“The reservoir is not the reason for giving up but is another nail in the coffin,” he says.
He will, however, continue to farm but without the thousands of visitors who regularly visit his PYO shop.
The parts of his 250-acre given over to fruit will, he says, enable him to work on environmental security and such things as tree planting.
“I will be concentrating on the environmental side and able to help out local farmers if they need labour at peak times,” he says.
He says his two daughters work in emergency services so there was no natural succession to the family farm.
“It comes to a time when age and health comes to the forefront of your life,” he says.
“We will miss huge amount of what we do,” he says, But not necessarily the long hours, the weather and affect this has on crops.
ALL ABOUT WORK LIFE BALANCE
“It’s all about work life balance as we try and soak up the enormity of what we have done,” he says.
“It is odd that while farming generally is struggling with commodity prices, all farmers are trying to find other ways of supplementing income, yet we are swinging against the tide,” he says. “It may seem to some an odd time to retire from it.”
In a joint post on Facebook with his wife Susannah they explain the business started in 1972 “and we have decided that from now on, we will concentrate on the arable and environmental side of the business, our caravan site and our family.
“Paddy has worked every year on the farm since he was 15 years old. Susannah first came to the farm for a summer job whilst studying at university.
‘LOVELY AND LOYAL CUSTOMERS’
“Though we will obviously miss our lovely and loyal customers, we really are ready to have a change and have our weekends back. There are very many factors behind our decision to close this side of our business, the majority of them personal.
“We really hope that we and Paddy’s parents, Jill and John, have given our customers some happy memories of picking our homegrown crops and playing with our friendly border collies throughout the generations.
“Thank you for all your support over the last 52 years, and we wish you well.
“We hope you find another PYO farm to visit in future years – you never know, we may even see you there!
“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our suppliers and our wonderful staff, both past and present, whom we have been very proud of over the years.
“Best wishes, Susannah and Paddy”
