Stocken Farm with Dick & Hilda West

File:West Wessex Sow.docx Stocken Farm was bought by Dick & Hilda West in 1948

TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY? In 1948 Dick and Hilda West had the opportunity to buy Stocken Farm.    Dick, now 37, who had never borrowed in his life, bolstered by terrific faith from his wife and insistent advice from a friend, took courage, took a mortgage from the friend, and set out to make the 190 acres of Stocken Farm their own.    As in 1934, every penny had to be made to count.

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1957 PROGRESS to DATE. By 1957 Dick had increased the cows to 26, his sheep to about 60 and had established a good name for commercial breeding pigs, which he sold at Reading market. They prepared a few cockerels and turkeys for Christmas and had more hens.   The horses had been replaced by two tractors, their first combine harvester was recently purchased and they owned the farm, the mortgage paid off.