Chris Stockton
I’ve got a pretty unusual interest for a farmer – I race touring cars in the British Championship, and this year has been really busy as my team has changed to Lexus cars. It’s a lot of work, with testing and race days, but I really enjoy it. It has meant putting in some long hours on the farm to catch up with the seasons, but it’s all part of farming life these days. Talking to sponsors has to be fitted in around silaging – technology helps a lot, and it’s easy to be in touch even in the tractor cab. People sometimes don’t realise what a difference the internet and mobile phones have made to how we do business in the countryside – it’s really made things a whole heap easier.
I also run a business selling furniture and fittings to the entertainment and catering industry. We import a lot of items from China these days, and I have to be able to fit in negotiations with agents and forwarding houses around everything else, plus a visit to China itself once or twice a year.
This might not be your picture of a typical Cheshire farmer – and I admit that my interests are rather out of the ordinary – but the reality is that all farmers are looking for new business opportunities these days. My view is that we’re all business men and women, just like anyone working for a large company. But I still love being out on the land, and that’ll never change.