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Maurice Patton
"I was totally sceptical; I only did it to please him more than anything else, especially when I discovered on the Friday evening that we were going to walk on burning coals."
The Story
Maurice's family farm business and shops were declining in profitability and he felt that he was losing out on family life. He was feeling depressed but was persuaded to go and listen to a motivational speaker with a friend. At first he felt that there was no message for him...
The story continues...
Maurice took over his family's mixed vegetable and potato farm in 1977.
With 10% of Northern Ireland farmers currently diversifying into rural enterprise to generate a steady income, diversification first arrived for Maurice in 1984, when he opened his first farm shop which was swiftly followed by a second in 1989, in neighbouring Donaghadee. From both farm shops, Maurice provided a range of home grown produce as well as supplying wholesale markets in Belfast.
Sadly, within 10 years local competition forced Maurice to clsoe his original shop while retaining the Donaghadee shop.
Maurice decided to diversify for a second time and transormed 10 acres of his land into private gardening allotments and launching Ards Allotments in 2005. "The idea of gardening allotments appealed to me because it offered an alternative form of employment while maintaining the environmental integrity of the land."
His most recent project, Grave Concern Ireland, is an upkeep and grave maintenance service.
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