Meadow Court Farm is one of Guernsey's largest dairy farms with a herd of 155 milking cows covering more than 700 vergees of land.

It was acquired in December 2021 by the Mallard family who are no strangers to agriculture, already owning and managing two farms and a vineyard in France.

On a day-to-day basis the farm is run by experienced farm manager, Andrew Eastabrook, supported by long-serving staff members, Tony Vile and Graeme White. Tony and Graeme know the farm inside out.

The farm was established by now-retired farmer Ray Watts in the early 1970s and was owned by his family until December 2021.

The new team has quickly become immersed in local farming life. As well as providing milk to the Dairy, their focus is on improving the herd's genetics and continuing to farm in a sensitive and sustainable way.

Andrew has a great deal of experience of the iconic Guernsey breed. His love for farming was nurtured at a young age after spending most of his school holidays helping on local dairy, beef, pig, sheep, and arable farms in Surrey. After graduating from Newcastle University with a bachelor's degree in Agriculture with honours in Animal Science, he secured a Dairy Management Trainee role on a farm in Buckinghamshire looking after a 500-strong herd of Holstein-Friesians, before managing the Brymor herd of Guernseys in North Yorkshire.

His most recent post was at Hartpury University & College in Gloucestershire where he spent the last five years setting up and managing a commercial herd of Guernseys. During this time, he undertook genomic testing, alongside other enterprises, of the entire herd, being the first UK herd to do so.

"Protecting and nurturing the traditional farming heritage and the iconic Guernsey cattle breed are all central to what we do.  Land management is a key focus, which includes tree planting, hedge gapping and continuing with environmental strips and cover crops to help the enrichment of the environment," he said.