Biggest dairy farmer wants new worker accommodation

Thursday 30 January 2014

One of the Island’s best-known farming families, the Perchards, are applying to convert a cattle shed on their Trinity farm into five units of staff accommodation.

The Trinity farm - between Bouley Bay and Rozel - is home to a 450-head herd of Jerseys, including 280 milkers. The family also grows Jersey Royals as partners in the Island’s largest potato producers, the Jersey Royal Company.

The accommodation comprises a three-bedroom and one, two-bedroom family homes and three single units for staff employed to care for the herd and general farm work.

Robbie Perchard said staff employed in the agriculture industry deserved to be provided with quality accommodation.

"We have got some highly skilled people working in the industry and I have got a wonderful team of loyal and very able staff and I appreciate them," he said.

Mr Perchard said as his son, Tom, was following him into the family business he was investing in the future of the farm.

There has been a farm on the site since 1507 but the Perchards took it over in 1957. The United Nations has chosen 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming to highlight the importance of family and smallholder farmers, as the mainstay of rural communities.