Meet all the finalists in The Northern Farmer Awards 2020

Arable Farmer of the Year.

W Potter and Sons

THERE is a major emphasis on technology and environmental considerations at this arable farm near Topcliffe in North Yorkshire. Its acreage includes space devoted to high euricic acid rape (HEAR), first wheat and second wheat and sometimes some third wheat, plus cover crops going into spring barley and fodder beet. They started direct drilling/strip tilling using a Claydon Drill about six years ago. The farm has been working to increase the organic matter in the soil, and the yields have generally been increasing. The farm has been running John Deere Green Star for about a decade. The sprayer is auto-steer and auto-beam and Graham Potter uses drones for mapping sterile brome and manganese deficiency. A small beck runs through the farm, with a buffer on either side which provides for bee mixes, bird mixes, beetle banks and ponds which provide natural habitats for wildlife, such as frogs and kites.

John Simpson

JOHN Simpson has managed Newfield Organics, on behalf of the Wass family, since 2007 though he has worked on the farm since 1992 when he left school. The farm is fully organic and lies high on the southern edge of the North York Moors. At an altitude of 650ft above sea level, it must be one of the highest organic farms in the country. Each year 20 varieties of vegetables are grown within a fully rotational system, plus seed potatoes, spring barley, spring oats and sometimes some spring wheat is also grown. The farm gate shop sells some of the produce to villagers and passing trade but the majority of the vegetables are shipped all over the country. Yet more goes to wholesalers around the country for supplying other shops and restaurants and additional produce goes to other vegetable suppliers that specialise in providing ‘veg boxes’.The harvesting of vegetables mainly takes place from August throughout the winter into spring when everything starts again.

WI Suddes and Sons

ALTITUDE, weather and soil types all pose challenges for Richard Suddes at South Farm, Cornsay. near Consett in Co. Durham. It is farmed as a partnership, with parents Rob and Janis and brothers Richard and Karl. It is a mixed arable and beef farm with a pedigree Limousin enterprise. Karl manages the beef enterprise while Richard manages the arable rotation and now uses a direct drilling system. “We are constantly looking at ways to improve the soil health and are experimenting with undersowing crops with clover as well as focusing on nutrient usage and maximising the benefits of the livestock manures on the arable rotation,” says Richard. He wanted to maintain and improve the soil, which ranges from a light, free-draining material to a heavy clay, and decided the best way to do this was by using direct drilling. Though not an easy option Richard says the soil structure is getting better and as a result will become increasingly resilient, especially after prolonged heavy rainfall.

Beef Farmer of the Year

David and Penny Evans

DAVID and Penny Evans, of Tree Bridge Farm, Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, have been breeding pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle since 1996. Before beginning the breeding herd David was rearing beef cattle for Waitrose so had a good insight into what the beef market were looking for, so it was decided instead of contract rearing they would breed the best native breed beef cattle they could. All bull calves are kept entire and are sold on as breeding bulls. Female calves are mostly sold to other breeders. They also retain females for own replacements. The herd has a very high health status and they use technology to constantly monitor and improve where possible. Their aim is to continue to improve the quality and performance of the breed.

John and Liz Peile

JOHN and Liz Peile, of Greystoke Castle Farms, Greystoke, near Penrith, contract farm ring-fenced land on the estate, having let out their family farm at Wigton to family members. They keep sheep and cattle, and on the cattle side they prefer Limousin x Friesians and buy in most of their replacement females from neighbouring dairy farms. They have Charolais and Limousin bulls. These commercial cows calve indoors from March to June. At weaning the calves go to market as suckler calves. They have also introduced a herd of 50 Luing Cows and a few Galloways to improve the rougher areas of pasture. Because of the success of the Luings they have bought a Simmental bull to run with them. As they have only been at the farm for six years, they are still developing their plans, but Liz feels they have achieved the right combination of stock and the right land management.

Joanne and Michael Souter

A COUPLE running sheep and beef enterprises near Barnard Castle use produce from their animals to supply another of their businesses - the Moorcock Inn at Eggleston. Joanne and Michael Souter’s cattle are largely Beef Shorthorns, with all the calves Beef Shorthorn crosses. They keep a few Blue crosses and Blond crosses but are slowly getting rid of the commercial breeds in favour of the shorthorns. Joanne chose Beef Shorthorns because they are a native breed suitable for their land; they are easy to keep; finish on grass and produce good-quality and well-flavoured beef. None is butchered under two years old, when the cows not considered suitable for raising the standard of the herd are despatched. All the beef produced is used by the pub. In the longer term, Joanne hopes to sell pedigree Beef Shorthorn heifers. The pub uses ‘Farm Gate to Dinner Plate’ as its strapline.

Dairy Farmer of the Year

Phillip Berry

A DAIRY farmer is providing the opportunity buy raw milk and Gelato ice cream and enjoy a coffee, all under one roof. Phillip Berry, of Boggart House Farm, Station Lane, Barton, Preston, has pedigree Holsteins plus a smaller number of Jersey cattle, The cows are permanently housed, with grass cut throughout the summer for making silage and fed fresh. Phillip’s parents introduced a high yielding herd several years ago but he knows there is more yet to be done to achieve full potential. In December 2018 they signed up to use the Alta Cow Watch system., which detects when cows are in heat and ready for breeding. Five years ago they began selling raw milk direct from the farm, having invested in a small bottling plant. In July 2018 they began producing Gelato ice cream, having considered a number of options, and in addition a coffee shop with quality coffee and good coffee machines was opened.

Michael Howie

MICHAEL Howie’s family have been at Morwick Farm, Acklington, Morpeth, since 1945. The farm is divided between arable and dairy, with the herd primarily made up of Ayrshire cows with some Red Holsteins and some Ayrshire/red Holstein Crosses and some Jerseys as well. Milk is sold through Arla but they also sell raw milk on the farm and have an ice-cream parlour, ice cream being sold on site and also through other outlets. Michael recently became president of the Ayrshire Cattle Society, following in the footsteps of both his father and grandfather. Cows are milked twice a day in an Alfa Laval 15/32 parlour which was installed 12 years ago but with a more recent computerised system installed. Cows are grazed outside for six months a year and housed in straw-bedded sheds through winter and wetter weather. Milk yields are recorded daily in the parlour and this along with working closely with NMR allows them to closely monitor production.

Tom Neill

BASED at Thornington Farm, Mindrum, Northumberland, R Neill & Sons are farming a mixed enterprise which includes a herd of British Friesian milking cows, which are fed as much home-grown produce as possible. The farm supplies milk to Arla foods and is a fully paid-up member of the farmer-owned co-op. It is aligned through the Arla360 scheme to Aldi and was one of the original 26 farms in the Arla360/Aldi milk partnership. For the cows there is a focus on grazing, health, longevity and easy care. Monthly visits by the vet and nutritionist take place throughout the year and calves are monitored closely throughout the rearing stage. Cows are all EID identified and auto ID is installed in the milking parlour so all yields are recorded at every milking and the cows are then fed to yield fully automatically. All fertility, health, milking and breeding events are recorded on a PC. The milking parlour also flags up any cow not producing the expected milk amount or quality.

Diversification of the Year

Phillip Berry

EXPANDING a coffee shop and installing a new milking parlour are among the plans for a diversified dairy farm. Phillip Berry, of Brooks Gelato, of Boggart House Farm, Station Lane, Barton, Preston, began selling raw milk straight from the farm five years ago, having invested in a small bottling plant. In July 2018 they began producing Gelato ice-cream, something they had been thinking about for some time but waited until it was financially viable. When Phil was researching Gelato ice-cream he also decided to go down the line of quality coffee, so a coffee shop with quality coffee and good coffee machines was opened. An expansion of the coffee shop is being planned, and Phillip is also keen to open a dessert parlour, adding crepes, and waffles, ice cream sundaes and the like. Installing a new milking parlour and going back to twice a day milking is also something they would like to do soon.

Stephen and Tracey Pepper

A FAMILY farm 1,200 feet above sea level has diversified into camping, glamping and has a petting farm, with a cafe open to the public. Stephen and Tracey Pepper run Windle House Farm in Lee Lane, Oxenhope, near Keighley, which has a herd of Limousin cross and Belgian Blue cross sucklers which are bred to a Belgian Blue bull to produce beef calves that are reared on before selling. There are also 60 Beltex and Texel cross breeding ewes with lambs being fattened before selling for slaughter. The farm also offers camping and glamping, tearoom, petting farm, school trips, Farm to Ewe school and care home visits, corporate team building days, children’s birthday parties and a school holiday activity club. The Alpaca Experience offers walking with the animals and getting to know them and is very popular. Calves, lambs, pony and donkey all offer interactive experiences for adults and children alike. The farm is open five days a week for five months a year. The main use of technology is the website and Social media for promotions and bookings.

Jamie Wood

MANOR House, Roxby, on the North York Moors is home to Jamie Wood’s herd of Jersey cows, which produce My Brown Cow Jersey ice cream. Jamie also has 250 beef cattle which are bought as calves and are sold as strong store cattle and prime beef. He prefers to buy in Angus and Limousins and crosses of these if at all possible. Over the winter they house store lambs to be sold on in the spring as prime lamb. Preferred breeds are Suffolk/Texel crosses. The farm’s grass and barley acreages provide the summer grazing and winter silage and feed for the stock. Jamie is not from a farming background, starting at the age of 11 with two goats, milking by hand and selling their milk from his parents’ garden gate. He has progressed to running Manor House Farm, and his enterprises include My Brown Cow ice cream, which has become an established name especially in Whitby and surrounding areas.

The ice-cream is sold in five-litre trays to farm shops, shops, cafes, ice-cream parlours and even a local bakery.

Family-Run Farm of the Year

J Craddock and Sons

HALL Farm, at Kirklington, Bedale, is now run by John Craddock and his uncle Neil, following the death of John’s father, who was Neil’s brother, three years ago. John, then aged 33, took up his father’s position within the family business. Neil runs the stock side of the business, which comprises breeding ewes with the lambs being reared and sold ‘fat’, and suckler cows with calves sold on as stores. John, who has been a leading figure in the YFC world, took over the arable operation, a system that works well with uncle and nephew having a good relationship on and off farm. As well as permanent grass used both for grazing and making hay and/or silage and temporary leys within the cropping rotations, the farm produces wheat, spring and winter barley, potatoes OSR and beans and grass leys. All of the farm produce is sold within North Yorkshire.

AJ Spilman and Son

THIS family consists of mixed farmers, with something to harvest in every season across their two farms, with the business address being at Church Farm, Sessay. They start with lambing in early March and then go straight into asparagus picking in late April. In June, they start with PYO soft fruits picking strawberries, then raspberries, gooseberries, apples, plums and blackberries finishing in September, followed by a Halloween Festival with PYO pumpkins and squashes. A farm shop and cafe provides additional support. Joss Spilman is responsible for the arable side and Tom Spilman for soft fruit and asparagus. Tom looks after the ewe flock, Joss finishes the store cattle year round and Mark Spilman is responsible for the pedigree Aberdeen Angus herd. The cafe and farm shop is run by Olivia Spilman.

W Stockdale and Sons

THE Stockdale family, of Carr House Farm, Allerston, Pickering, run dairy and arable enterprises, the latter including producing wheat, barley and maize, and also a caravan park, which was originally founded in 1983. The farm was not able to support Chris and John and their growing families, so Chris set about expanding and improving the caravan park. They now have hardstanding, full services with water and electricity, touring van pitches and also provision for 80 tents. The caravan park is fully ring fenced within the farm boundaries so is quiet and safe. It is run by Chris’s wife Diane, along with the campsite and a cafe which opened 18 months ago. John also runs Stockdale Construction from the farm, taking on various building projects. Other family members are also working on the site or running businesses from it.

Farm Manager of the Year

Matthew Emmott

BROUGHT upon a family farm in Cumbria, Matthew Emmott became the contract manager of a large holding near Cockermouth and in only a year the farm went from strength to strength, with big improvements in the sheep flock, producing top quality Mule gimmer lambs and some Swaledale sheep. Matthew also is building his own flock of pedigree Swaledales, which he keeps at home running with his father’s flock. Matthew’s knowledge of good stock shone through when he was given the job of judging Blue Faced Leicesters at H & H Carlisle in 2016. He has gone on to judge at Bowes, Gosforth, Ennerdale and Cockermouth Auctions. Matthew enjoys showing his own flock of Swaledale sheep and his keen eye for judging sheep has proved very successful. He purchased a tup lamb and was delighted to win local champion at Mungrisedale Show, 2017. This tup went on to become an overall champion and win numerous other trophies.

James Marshall

JAMES Marshall is farm and estate manager for Armeria (UK) LLP / Castletown Trust LLP on the Castletown Estate Farm between the Esk and the Eden in the heart of the Solway Estuary. The estate sells a large number of finished beef cattle a year and growing dairy forages for sale to local dairy farms. The sheep flock produce ‘Salt Marsh’ Lamb and for 2019/20 they have just introduced Wagyu cows. Crops are grown entirely for feeding the farm’s stock over winter and when on finishing rations. The farm is also keeping pace with diversification opportunities. All the cattle have electronic management tags linked to a weighing and recording system. The challenge of economically grazing a large acreage of salt marsh, covered by the sea at high spring tides, to provide habitat for nesting waders and tens of thousands of wintering wildfowl, is a monumental undertaking. This internationally important wildlife area has been transformed into a diverse and profitable business. In 2018 the farm was recognised by the farming and conservation industry with the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group National Silver Lapwing Award.

John Simpson

JOHN Simpson has been managing a fully organic farm on the southern edge of the North York Moors since 2007, though he has worked on the farm since 1992 when he left school. Twenty varieties of vegetables are grown there within a fully rotational system at an altitude of 650ft above sea level. These include red and green lettuce, kohlrabi, fennel, spinach, rainbow chard, white turnips, curly kale, beetroot, carrots (including heritage varieties), cauliflowers, broccoli, white and red cabbage, onions, swede, parsnips, leeks and Brussels sprouts. Other crops are also grown and there are sheep and cattle on the farm. The vegetable side is hands-on labour intensive. There are two-full time permanent staff working alongside John with between five and ten part-time staff and some casuals at times depending on picking requirements. The staff are all local. The soil is regularly monitored and checked and maintained in line with the Soil Association organic requirements and the break crops and rotation keep healthy levels.

Outstanding Achievement

Richard Nicholson and Family

RICHARD Nicholson and family very much want Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley to remain a working farm in all ways, even though the enterprise has evolved into an open farm and visitor attraction. The last 12 months have seen more than a million visitors to the attraction, cafes, restaurants and shop. As well as having farm animals on show there are pygmy goats, alpacas, llamas, rabbits, guinea pigs, donkeys, shire horses and more. Having also obtained a zoo licence there is a reptile house and there are plans afoot for more exotic and endangered species. The attraction holds a number of popular events each year. Their breeding ewes are mainly a mixed commercial flock of Texel/Charollais but also some rare breeds. Store cattle are bought in each year and reared through to finished animals. There is also a small herd of Beef Shorthorns and some breeding sows.

Sarah Devlin Stafford

SARAH Devlin Stafford turned redundancy into an opportunity using her experience to establish an innovative business offering a new way to market livestock. Sarah, who runs SDS Livestock, Shipley Lane Farm, Alnwick, as sole trader, markets store stock which she sells on to farmers who further finish the animals. She says her agile innovative business model using her mobile phone, ipad invoicing and mobile banking payments means long waits for the ‘cheque in the post’ are a thing of the past. The main marketing tool of Facebook for business incorporating the logo has raised the profile of SDS, enabling rapid growth. Paperless trading using apps and BACS – paper can be arranged for some clients – means stock trading, invoices and payments are all managed using cloud-based technology. Farmers can be in touch at any time, striving for better prices, and a smoother running of day-to-day livestock trading. Sarah likes things to be perfect for the farmers she deals with as they carry a massive strain daily.

Jamie Wood

COMING from a non-farming background, Jamie Wood started out at the age of 11 milking two goats by hand and selling their milk from his parents’ garden gate. At 14 before and after school he was cycling six miles twice a day to a local farm for milking. At 16 he was helping local farmers on the hills around his home rounding up sheep to bring down for dipping or clipping. Now Jamie is running Manor House Farm, Roxby, on the North York Moors, where he has beef cattle which are bought as calves and are sold as strong store cattle and prime beef, over the winter he houses store lambs to be sold on in the spring as prime lamb, and he has a herd of Jersey cows. From the latter he produces My Brown Cow Jersey ice cream, which has become an established name, especially in Whitby and surrounding areas. It is sold in five-litre trays to farm shops, shops, cafes, ice-cream parlours and a local bakery.

Sheep Farmer of the Year

Luke Bancroft

LUKE Bancroft works full-time on his family’s hill farm which runs over the Lancashire-Yorkshire border. The sheep flock comprises Cheviots and Lonks, and they also have Luing beef cattle. They sell mostly into the store markets in the UK. Luke, who is the fourth generation on the farm, is in charge of the sheep-breeding programme, and is also involved in all decisions about the farm. He carries out any general farming duties as required. They show both breeds of sheep and have had some success with first-placings, and a champion and a reserve female Lonks in the Hill category. Luke also runs a shearing business with a friend. He feels very strongly that farmers need to get the public ‘on-side’ so they better understand what farming entails and what farmers do. He feels agricultural shows are a good way to promote the industry and a farm open day is planned for spring.

Lucy Ewbank

WHEN Lucy Ewbank left school she did not think she had any chance of working on a farm because she was not from a farming family and had no experience. She went to college with the intention of becoming a farrier, but an opportunity arose to work at Hill Top Farm, Breaton. She knew nothing about sheep at that point, but now manages and cares for the farm’s commercial flock, working day and night in lambing time. The sheep are all scanned, and care and requirements cater to scan results. The use of electronic ID readers and weigh systems all help keep records and ensure the flock gets best care. Lucy has four working dogs and loves to spend time training young dogs and working the older ones with the sheep. The farm also has arable and beef enterprises and at busy times Lucy also helps with tractor work on the harvest and feeding the cattle.

Andrew and Caroline Hunter

ANDREW Hunter is the third generation of his family to farm The Steel Farm , Bellingham. It carries black-faced ewes and suckler cows. In ongoing reviews of productivity and performance the number of sucklers will be falling with sheep numbers rising over the next period. Despite what has been a challenging year for sheep and beef farmers, with weather extremes and the ensuing problems of grassland management and forage preservation for this winter, the Hunter family have managed to raise levels of performance from their herd and flock by implementing new feeding methods. The sheep enterprise is very much a closed flock. Lambing is from mid-March through to late April, and alongside a small flock of Blue Faced Leicesters the sheep are predominantly Hexham Blackies which are favoured as having more scope and width than some of the other Blackie breeds.

Young Farmer of the Year

Harriet Gallagher

HARRIET Gallagher graduated last year with a degree in agriculture from Newcastle University. She is not from a farming background but had access to her family’s ten acres, which were really used for horses. To help with keeping the grass in good condition a few sheep were bought and Harriet’s interest in farming grew. With an interest in livestock centred around cattle and sheep and some experience gained on local farms and holdings she got her first taste of dairy farming while at university. Immediately after graduating she was offered the post of assistant herd manager on the university’s Nafferton Farm and now milks its Holstein Friesians, rearing calves and all associated processes. She is working closely with the new herd manager to improve the herd performance, as previously the dairy herd had been bred for show-quality animals, not necessarily for good milk production. A new breeding regime has begun, including the use of Longhorn bulls.

Louie Van Geffen

LOUIE Van Geffen comes from a non-farming background but has solely established Raisdale Livestock, at Alum Grange, Carlton-in-Cleveland, which has a sheep flock including pedigree Beltex and Hampshire Downs as well some commercial ewes. He has recently diversified into rearing weaner pigs, Gloucester Old Spot and Tamworths among apple orchards to sell direct to consumers and is also introducing a calf-rearing enterprise. There is a building at home that he can use but lambing and calf rearing all take place in a large poly tunnel. At the age of 13 Louie was helping on a local farm and bought his first pet lambs to rear. He is still studying full time as well as running his farming enterprise. Last year he completed a foundation degree in agriculture and is starting soon at Newcastle University to finish his BFP degree. Louie also supplements income by doing some contract shepherding which also allows him to add to his practical experience.

Eamon Monaghan

EAMON Monaghan, from Penrith, is not from a farming family though one of his grandparents was a dairy farmer. At 13 Eamon got a job on a local dairy farm, milking and learning stockmanship at weekends and holidays until he was 16. He knew he wanted a long-term career in farming and went to college to do a two-year HNC in agriculture, being top student two years in a row. The college offered him a job as a part-time instructor in practical farming and also gave him the management and care of part of its milking herd. He became interested in breeding and showing pedigree Holsteins and became manager of the dairy farm where he used to work, as well as buying pedigree Holsteins with a friend. His career then moved into the genetics side and he is now international sales manager for Cogent Breeding Ltd. Eamon has been a member of Skelton YFC for many years, was Cumbria YFC’s County Chair for 2018-19 and won the NFYFC Young Farmer of the Year title.