David Camp’s mother works at Riverford and the family have farmed outside Totnes for generations. Being a young man (28) with enthusiasm and a mind of his own he decided to go it alone, first renting various parcels of land between Totnes and Harbertonford, building up a herd of South Devons and flock of Suffolk sheep, before getting the tenancy of Brockhills Farm in 2007. The way David was farming was not far from organic (like many traditional, mixed farms in the West Country) but the final step to organic certification still takes commitment. He saw, however, that small scale, traditional farming is fast becoming unviable unless you turn out a quality product and get a premium for it.

In the case of beef and lamb, that premium is small but coupled with extensive, low input practices, there is a living to be made. Low input David’s farm most definitely is. He farms over 800 acres (including some coastal grazing rented from the National Trust), grows 100 acres of corn for animal feed, and keeps 100 South Devon and Galloway suckler cows and 300 Suffolk ewes – all with the help of one man. He hasn’t bought any feed for five years and his herd is virtually ‘closed’, using his own breeding stock. His cows’ ancestors have been in the Camp family herd since the year dot. David is marrying in June so there may be Camps farming South Devons for years to come. It could be Camp Little David.