By Jack Bosworth, Director, FJ Bosworth & Sons. Published 27 May 2024.
I hope everyone is well.
It has been a busy month since my last piece, including a couple of trips away from the farm. One was to Krakow for my stag do, and the other was to Birmingham for the Pig & Poultry Fair. Two very different agendas, with one being slightly more inspiring and insightful than the other. I will let you decide which trip those thoughts belong to.
Optimism back at the NEC
In all seriousness, it was fantastic to see so many people at The NEC for Pig & Poultry. It felt as though visitors and exhibitors alike were in good spirits, and there was a real sense of optimism despite the pig crisis being not all that long ago. That alone is a reminder of just how resilient the industry is.
Our main reasons for attending were to look at:
- Robotic pressure washers.
- Building manufacturers.
- Different options on genetics.
- Ammonia reduction solutions.
It was a refreshing few days off the farm, with Swinco kindly inviting me to speak about milk cup systems at their conference the day before the fair. Thanks to the team for looking after us so well, both at the conference and through the fair itself.
An Environment Agency inspection
Last week we had an Environment Agency inspection, which was a first for me.
I know plenty of farmers who do not like to open the gates up with too much enthusiasm for that sort of thing, and I do understand the instinct. As was the case with our HSE inspection back in June last year, though, I have to say I found the visit incredibly useful, with lots of open and honest discussion.
I certainly got the impression that the two inspectors were interested not only in seeing what we do but in understanding why and how we do it. That was reflected in a good balance of walking around the farm and reviewing data in the office.
Our discussions then led naturally onto further developments we want to make as a business. The inspectors were forthcoming with guidance on best practice, and on possible grant funding opportunities. None of that was performative on their part. It felt like an actual conversation between people who both wanted to see a good farm doing the right thing keep doing it.
The line that captured the year
We must have left a good impression. One of the two inspectors asked where they could buy our pork.
To which I replied: “Here, if our planning system wasn’t so broken!”
The on-farm butchery planning application has been going through the local system since 2023, and we are now preparing for an appeal. Moments like this one are a reminder of exactly why we have been pushing so hard for it. Real interest from real people, asking the most natural question in the world about a farm that is doing the right things, and us still not yet in a position to give them a straightforward answer.
We will keep at it.
Editor’s note (May 2026)
The on-farm butchery story Jack alludes to here ran on for some time after this article. The planning appeal was ultimately rejected in early 2025. Rather than continue pushing for an on-farm build, in 2024 FJ Bosworth & Sons acquired Procters Sausages, an established sausage maker, which has completed the farm-to-fork chain Jack has written about throughout his catalogue. You can now buy products made with pork from the Bosworth herd through procters-sausages.co.uk and at participating retail outlets.
About the author
Jack Bosworth is a fourth-generation farmer and Director of FJ Bosworth & Sons, an arable and pig farming business at Spains Hall, Willingale, Essex. The farm has been in the family since 1919, and Jack farms alongside his father Stuart Bosworth, who was named Farmers Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year in 2011. The business is Red Tractor assured and runs an integrated farm-to-fork model, with home-grown cereals milled on site using solar-generated electricity.
You can follow Jack’s articles on fjbosworth.com, or get in touch via the WhatsApp link on the site.
Fourth-generation farmer at Spains Hall, Willingale. Runs the contracting team and writes most of what appears here.