Brett Vale Farming welcomes third partner
- Lynda Croft
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
Heathpatch Ltd and A J Pratt & Son together are delighted to announce that we have invited W D Chaplin Farms of Nedging to join the Brett Vale joint farming venture.
Brett Vale Farming Company Ltd was set up in 2021, farming over 3,500 acres of arable land in Suffolk. Having W D Chaplin Farms join us as a third partner will open up new acreage in the area for Brett Vale Farming as well as combining decades of experience from the three farms.
Heathpatch CEO, George Westwood commented, “Heathpatch has been extremely pleased with the performance of Brett Vale Farming Company since its inception in June 2021. This agreement marks an exciting new chapter for the business. W D Chaplin Farms, joining as a trusted neighbour, enables Brett Vale to build on the strong foundations laid by the knowledgeable and dedicated team. All parties are aligned in their values, with a forward-thinking approach on environmental impact, full regard for the safety of staff, and careful consideration of our neighbours.”
Brett Vale Farm Manager and Director, Oliver Pratt, shares his thoughts, “With the future of agriculture being the most uncertain it has been in my lifetime, it is crucial to adapt. Brett Vale has enabled us to spread costs over larger areas, therefore farming more efficiently – both financially and in terms of timeliness. In welcoming W D Chaplin Farms to BVFC we are able to spread costs further, strengthening profitability to all of our shareholders. This also brings a wealth of farming and business knowledge to the boardroom in Andrew and Paul. It really is an exciting step forward for all involved.”
W D Chaplin Farms began when Peggy and Doug (William Douglas) Chaplin married and bought Bush Farm, Nedging, in 1958. Andrew Chaplin took over running the farm in 1986, with Paul Chaplin joining in 1994. The family run farm has continued with Paul taking on the day to day running of the farm for the last 30 years. “We are very pleased to have been invited to become part of the Brett Vale joint venture farming company and delighted that William is going to work as part of the team. We feel that joining Brett Vale is a very positive step forward for us in these uncertain times for farming. Having been neighbours for so many years and seeing the experienced, enthusiastic and capable team run by Oliver at Brett Vale, it seemed to be the natural progression, so making the decision very straightforward for us. It is great that William is able to still work on the fields here at home but have the reassurance which Brett Vale provides for both his and the farm’s future; we are looking forward to working together for many years to come.”
The third generation of the Chaplin family farm, Will Chaplin, has joined the Brett Vale workforce. His skills are already making him popular with his new colleagues and we are all very pleased to welcome him to the team. We look forward to seeing his farming career develop alongside the growth of Brett Vale Farming Company.
Brett Vale’s main operations will still be based at Dairy Farm, Semer, where Heathpatch’s founders, the Buckle family, celebrated 50 years of harvest last year. The A J Pratt and Son farm has been in the same family for nearly twice that and the addition of W D Chaplin Farms brings nearly another 70 years of experience to the table.
Together, these three Suffolk family farms are building a resilient, progressive business and are committed to thriving in today’s farming landscape, whilst safeguarding a legacy for the future generations.
