A council farm? Oh pull the udder one

GETTING up at 4am to spend three hours milking more than 200 Friesian cows is not in the job description of most local authority staff.

Strictly speaking, it is not among the usual duties of Andrew Milich, but as manager of Hillingdon council's 600-acre farm, he took on the task while waiting for a vacancy for a " herdsperson" (who milks and looks after cows) among his staff to be filled.

"The cows are milked twice a day, which means I get to do the same thing all over again in the afternoon," he says.

"And there's no chance of an early night as the animals need to be checked to see they are in good health every night at around 10pm.

"I'm currently sharing extra duties with my remaining two staff - an assistant herdsperson and a farm craftsperson [tractor driver and stock person], who are doing a brilliant job, but it shows that farming is hard work which can involve round-the-clock responsibility for the welfare of animals.

As a farm manager, I must be willing and able to perform any task, provide cover for absences and deal with outofhours emergencies.

"It sounds a tall order, but for people who live and breathe farming it gives the sort of job satisfaction that can't be found anywhere else.

I've been working on farms since I was a boy, growing up in South Wales, and I still find what I do hugely satisfying."

Milich, 46, has managed Park Lodge Farm on the outskirts of Harefield for six years. Apart from 250 Holstein Friesian cows producing up to 6,000 litres of milk a day, the farm is home to 50 ewes (kept for meat and wool), a pair of pigs, a goat, donkey and a shire horse.

There are some 400 farms in the London area covering a total of 12,000 acres, according to the National Farmers' Union. At least 16 of these are open to the public and school parties, although in the case of Park Lodge, visits are strictly by appointment.

"The farm is run as a business," says Milich. "We sell milk to a local dairy, for example, and keep costs down by growing maize and grass as cattle food. The money we make is reinvested to provide an example of a working farm for schoolchildren and the general public to visit.

"A reception centre has been built complete with classrooms for lessons in farming, our milking parlour has a viewing gallery and two farm trails show how our fields are used for crops and grazing. We also stage open days and lambing afternoons."

Hillingdon's farm manager must combine organising the visits by taking bookings and ensuring they take place safely (farm machinery can pose hazards) with the business administration that every farm requires. " Farming is not just about getting your hands dirty and being out in all weathers," explains Milich. "It must pay its way, which means keeping track of expenditure on items such as stock, feed and wages and amounts raised from sales."

He has a degree in agriculture from Plymouth University and advises anyone considering farm work as a career to combine hands-on experience on the land with gaining qualifications through studying the theory and business side.

"Success in agriculture depends on understanding profit-and-loss accounts and marketing as well as knowing your animals and crops," he says. "There is competition for the best jobs in farming, which require qualifications as well as being at home in the fields."

Being as comfortable reading a balance sheet as driving a tractor, milking a cow or digging a ditch are among Milich's "must-have" skills for farm managers. Physical fitness, stamina and willingness to work at any time of day (or night) coupled with respect for the countryside are others - along with leadership and team-working skills.

But how did the London Borough of Hillingdon find itself owning a farm? It originally formed part of the estate of Sir Francis Newdegate (1862-1936), but was bought in 1939 by Middlesex County Council with the condition the land should be used only for "open space purposes".

Hillingdon's Estates and Valuation service took over management responsibility when the Greater London Council (GLC) was abolished in 1986.

"Helping make a farm accessible to children and the public is a bonus for me," says Milich. "Some pupils have never been on a farm and do not always realise where milk comes from. All are fascinated by seeing the milking process close up - the size of the cows surprises them, as does the smell of the huge amount of slurry they generate!

"The farmyard and general countryside smells always excite a lot of comment - it is something that always catches the attention of those more used to the odours produced by heavy urban traffic."

Park Farm Lodge: 01895 824425. For job vacancies with Hillingdon council, log on to:www.hillingdon.gov.uk.

Details of city and urban farms open to the public from Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens: 0117 923 1800/ www.farmgarden.org.uk

Farming facts

Park Lodge Farm staff: Manager (pay scale: pounds 24,000-28,000); Herdsperson (pounds 14,000-pounds 15,000); Assistant Herdsperson (pounds 12,000); Farm Craftsperson (pounds 14,000-pounds 15,000); Extra payments given for weekend working.

Qualifications for farm work include agriculture-related NVQs, diplomas and degrees.

Useful contact: Farming UK, www.farminguk.co.uk

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