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Celebrity farmers and real life hard graft
Vinnie Jones, Janet Street-Porter, Paul O'Grady, Eric Robson and many other celebrities have smallholdings or farms. They have livestock and all talk about their sheep, pigs or chickens with great affection. Many of us, given the money, would do the same it seems.
"More and more people are wanting to become farmers," says Stephen Wyrill, national vice chairman of the Tenant Farmers Association who farms near Richmond in North Yorkshire. "It's amazing the numbers that have come to see us at country shows this year who want to be in farming."
Jake Webster, 39, is one of them. He lives in a little cottage in Catterick and he's looking to get his first foot on the ladder. Since his father, Fred, already has a small farm which he runs with Jake's brother, Richard, in nearby Leeming, you might think Jake was on the inside track. But the dream of running your own farm – or even getting to the starting point – is difficult.
"When I was younger my brother Richard fancied farming more than me," says Jake. "I was more into the butchering side. I was made redundant, then I took on another job in food production and was laid off again. I'd had enough and decided to move back into farming."
Most people outside farming might consider Jake to be a farmer already.
"When I went self- employed, 10 years ago, I started out doing people's gardens. I also knew how to milk and look after stock, so I went relief milking. I have now relief milked for the same bloke for 10 years, six days a week. I get up at 3.30 in the morning six mornings a week from October to May. I'm at the dairy farm by 3.45am as it's not far. I silage up, scrape out and bed down the stock before milking, which I start around 5.30. I only milk 50."
That only amounts to a small proportion of what he does. For those who think they want to get into farming but don't believe in graft, look away now.
The dairy farm he works on possesses a state-of-the-art parlour where he can milk eight at a time, still putting all of the cups on to each cow. Once he's finished he's off again. "During the summer I then go on to Masham for eight in the morning and drive tractors and work through until about midnight for the agricultural contractors D&A Perceval.
"When it's winter, like now, I usually work two days a week for them, until about six o'clock. I also relief milk one day a week for a dairy farmer near Stokesley, 22 miles away. He milks about 120 cows and I help him out on the farm the rest of the day."
Jake also helps out his father and his brother who, along with milking 80 cows have sheep, beef and a flourishing garden shed building business.
This surely qualifies him as a farmer, but Jake is intent on farming in his own right.
"'I want to go into pigs. I like them and I've worked with them before.
"They're interesting and I've been involved with the breeding and fattening side.
"What I'd need in order to set up properly would be anywhere from 1,000-1,500 pigs brought in on 'bed
and breakfast' where they come in at around 40 kilos and go out at 100 kilos.
"I've done my calculations and it would work.
"I'd put them on straw mainly because it's easier for one person to manage."
The hurdles Jake faces are not only money but also the livestock.
"It's very difficult because nowadays with the money situation I'll hold up my hands and say I can't afford to buy. But I can rent. I'd rent anything up to 100 acres because I know I've enough contacts to make things work. Sometimes folks are put off because they think pigs smell pretty bad, but they are a lot cleaner on straw."
North Yorkshire County Council used to have plenty of farms but they have gradually sold them off. This was an easier route in to farming for those in Jake's position.
"I've nothing against those who have come into the area and have bought land for their horses," he says.
"They have obviously earned their money in order to be able to do that. But it does mean there is less availability for people who have always lived in the countryside."
Stephen Wyrill understands that position. "There are plenty of farmer's sons wanting a place of their own, but there are also quite a number coming out of college whose family has never farmed.
"You can never say never to somebody because a human being is a surprising animal. If he or she gets the bit between their teeth anything is possible. Sometimes it's just about being in the right place at the right time.
"I think you will find that more and more farmers might not want to give up their farm when they are getting a bit older, but will be more than happy to let someone else have a go, perhaps in a farming partnership agreement.
"That's something we would always be very happy to advise on."
In the meantime Jake has a slightly more pressing partnership agreement today. He's marrying his girlfriend Rachel.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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