The North of England Mule Sheep Association (NEMSA) has been taking advantage of social media to promote the work of farmers across Cumbria, Northumberland, County Durham and North Yorkshire – as well as forging a ground-breaking link-up with three fellow sheep breed societies.

NEMSA has been working closely throughout the summer with the Suffolk and Texel Sheep Societies, and Swaledale Sheepbreeders Association, to highlight various scenarios involving best use and best practice involving their individual breeds.

Cumbrian farming families feature prominently, several fronted by NEMSA’s national chairman Jonathan Hodgson, himself a second generation Mule breeder who farms with his family at High Borrans, Windermere.

In association with the Suffolk Sheep Society, three enterprises dedicated to crossing Mules with Suffolk tups as the terminal sire are under the spotlight.

Three farming families feature under the Swaledale Sheepbreeders banner, all stalwarts of the breed, including the Raines, of Stanhope Gate, Middleton-in-Teesdale, who, while not crossing Swaledale ewes, specialise in producing quality draft ewes and gimmer lambs for the next user in the North of England Mule breeding cycle.

The Northern Farmer: The Raines family, of Stanhope Gate, Middleton-in-Teesdale

Fred Raine, the senior member of the family, takes a trip down memory lane to where it all started and what he feels are the most important factors to consider when breeding today’s modern hill sheep, with both confirmation and style the name of the game at Stanhope Gate.

Fellow Swaledale breeders, the Porters, of Riddings Farm, Reeth, also feature. The well-known family spanning three generations, the middle of which are Geoffrey and his wife, Valerie, have picked up countless leading honours in the show arena with their sheep breeds, including taking both the Penrith and Kilnsey Shows single Mule championship this year. They, too, shine the spotlight on best practice and the secrets of their multiple successes.

The Northern Farmer: Geoffrey and Valerie Porter, of The Riddings, Reeth

NEMSA’s Northumberland branch chairman, Willie Weatherson, of Edges Green Farm, Haltwhistle, has also been a key front man in the initiative. He first presented a Hexham-based promotional video in the build up to NSA North Sheep 2023 this summer, which was hosted by Willie Woodman and family at, Bradford House, near Ponteland.

Two Craven farming families feature prominently in the Texel Society link-up, notably their modern approach to farming methods by weighing their lambs regularly to become more efficient, prime examples of a new generation of farmers embracing the latest technology to fulfil the maximum potential of their NEMSA Mules.

The Stockdale family, of Oat Croft Farm, Burnsall, who operate a total stratified system under one roof, breed the majority of their own Swaledales, from which they produce a crop of North of England Mules annually, some kept for replacements, others sold locally through CCM Skipton and Pateley Bridge Auction Marts.

The Northern Farmer: Richard and Dan Stockdale, of Oat Croft Farm, Burnsall

Mule ewes are crossed with the Texel, with first-cross gimmers going to the tup as hoggs, prior to sale in May. The video highlights how the family has, over the past three years, effectively maintained detailed records in a bid to get the most efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly flock possible.

Indeed, working very closely with the environment is key to the entire enterprise, which can be held up as a shining example of the stratified system working well on a modern-day farm, with the family’s commitment to the breed further cemented through their hands-on and long-time involvement with the Mule show classes at their local Kilnsey Show.

Angus Dean, who farms with his family at Toft House, Threshfield, shines the spotlight on the versatility of the North of England Mule and how it is fully integrated into a farming model that also includes dairy cattle and a farm contracting business. The Deans predominantly use Texel tups on their Mules and Angus discusses how using this terminal sire adds value to their stock through a mainly grass-fed system.

The Northern Farmer: Angus Dean, of Toft House, Threshfield.

All the videos, produced with the help of Carlisle-based Herd’s Media, can be viewed on NEMSA’s Facebook pages and will also be posted on YouTube – search ‘Nemsa TV’. NEMSA secretary Linda Allan said: “The YouTube channel will be a perfect platform to showcase all the videos and in many cases we are able to offer an extended version than the Facebook posts."