A FAMILY are selling their entire milk production business, including their 300 strong dairy herd of cows, a venture which started from just two acres of land and a shed.

Ingrid Shervington, 56, says it is no longer financially viable to run the 24 hour business at Ty Mawr Farm, St Brides, which started when her late husband’s parents bought him his first piece of land.

David Shervington passed away at Christmas, aged 67, and his wife said she was “very sad” to sell the business which started from humble beginnings almost 50 years ago.

“It costs 26p a litre to produce the milk and we are paid 21p a litre for it,” she said.

As well as spiralling costs for small farmers, Mrs Shervington said the business is a “24/7” job, and several years ago the family decided to turn their hand to producing free range eggs.

The farm is home to 40,000 chickens, whose eggs are packed on site and sold all over the country.

“When David was young his grandmother used to have a few chickens and he used to borrow money from her to buy the eggs and then he sold them on to make a profit. She always made sure he paid her back on a Friday though,” she said.

The couple, who were together for 36 years, met at a farm sale and built their business up together.

They have a daughter Victoria and a son Edward, who plays for the Ospreys rugby team and also own Countryside Skips.

The dairy herd and machinery will go under the hammer on May 4 at 10.15am by Norton & Brooksbank livestock auctioneers and valuers.