Our farming operation comprises of farm business tenancies, contract farming agreements, and our own farmland. We have a 20 mile operating radius, with varying topography and soil types, from light chalky soils to heavy boulder clay. We grow wheat, barley, oats for conservation grade, oil seed rape (OSR) and sugar beet.

We have always farmed with environmental sustainability in mind, and are deeply committed to the proactive conservation of biodiversity, habitats and the landscape. We are currently operating three Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) schemes over 1500ha within the business, which aims to deliver significant benefits in priority areas.

Working closely with Natural England, it is our intention to continue to support and manage these conservation areas for the foreseeable future. Our aim is to promote and maximise environmental sustainability, not only across the farmland, but also across the business as a whole. We are also members of Conservation Grade and the LEAF Marque scheme, which encourages sustainable food production. Farmers who qualify for the scheme are shown to produce food to exceptional standards whilst farming in an environmentally sensitive way.

Rand Brothers was originally founded in 1934 by three brothers, Archie, Stan and Fred. In 1939 a three generation tenancy was agreed at Mill Corner Farm, Reed. The farm was purchased in the 1980’s and has subsequently grown to present day size. The first contract farming agreement was put in place in 1990.

Soil analysis is an important and integral part of our management process. We use it to gauge the level of fertility present in the soil for both optimum and efficient crop production, ultimately with the aim of reducing our reliance on artificial fertilisers. Using SOYL’s precision nutrient management system, we can target our inputs and reduce the impact we are having on the environment.

Our commitment to the environment extends to renewable energy sources. We have recently installed over 2,500 solar panels on our grain stores covering an area of 3000m², providing us with a more sustainable source of energy to run the grain laboratory and storage facility.

The farm business works closely with KWS, international plant breeders, whom occupy a committed acreage for seed variety trials purposes. This proves a valuable tool for the business in deciding cropping strategies and Rand Farming provides the trial plots for KWS at Fowlmere.

The Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation

The unique Letchworth Estate was taken on in September 2011 under a farm business tenancy agreement. The estate is owned by the Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, which is a self-funding charitable organisation re-investing into the communities of Letchworth Garden City.

The estate comprises close to 2500 acres of farmland, all of which is in the Natural England, Higher Level Scheme (HLS). The Letchworth Estate has one of the biggest circular pathway routes of any estate in the country, navigating some 13.6 miles of farmland and conservation areas around Letchworth Garden City and its surrounding villages.

The Rand Brothers actively farm the arable and grassland estate, as well as managing the HLS scheme on behalf of the Heritage Foundation.

Click here to visit Letchworth Heritage Unique Farming Operations

*work in progress*

Our farms are all farm assured with NSF International, aiming to provide complete traceability and demonstrate the responsible production standards we as UK farmers strive to meet. Our assurance schemes comprise Assured Combinable Crops, Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb, LEAF Marque Standard and Conservation Grade.