Sowing the seeds for business success (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Sowing the seeds for business success

1:46pm Friday 11th April 2008

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WHEN father and son farmers Robert and Hamish Campbell decided to diversify their business three years ago they had no idea they were sowing the seeds for a phenomenal success.

The farmers, from Lower Swell, took the decision because of low rape crop market prices. They learnt to produce, bottle and distribute their own rapeseed oil before the first bottle rolled off the production line in November 2005.

Now the farm is producing 40,000 litres a month of Campbell Environmental Oils with customers across the UK as well as Ireland, Denmark and Norway as well as a lucrative contract with Tesco.

One reason behind the success is that rape seed oil is a healthy alternative being low in saturated fats and high in blood pressure reducing omega 3,6 and 9. It is used by a host of Michelin-starred chefs and household names including Ramond Blanc, James Martin and Hugh Fearnly-Whittingstall because of its versatility - it is suitable for frying at high temperature as well as dressing salads.

But the success story does not end there.

As well as the cold-pressed oil, during the past two years the team has created three eco-friendly by-products - animal feed cakes produced from the leftover husks, an alternative heating product to coal and wood in the form of pellets and a bio-fuel made from recycled waste oil.

Part of the company's service to the catering industry is the collection of used oil. That led to further diversification to turn the waste into bio-diesel, which the company uses to run its R-Oil delivery vans.

To date the refining process has been outsourced but plans are in the pipeline to create a bio-diesel plant on the Campbell's own farm.

"We want to ensure that the process is as environmentally friendly as possible, from start to finish" explained Robert. "By turning waste oil into bio-fuel, we are maximising usage of the original crop and creating as little waste as possible. We are able to re-use the 20-litre catering size oil containers, by washing them at an extremely high temperature and then recycle them, which obviously keeps our carbon footprint down."

Even the leftover rapeseed husks are compressed to produce animal feed for horses and cattle meaning every single element of the rape seed is used.

The success has meant the farm has tripled its workforce and both father and son are delighted with their original decision.

Hamish commented: "In this day and age, farmers need to look at diversifying to survive, and we hope that by doing as much as possible locally with our rape crop, we should help the farm, the environment and the local economy."

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