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'What we are doing is farming tourists'
The snow lay so heavy on the ground in February that Richard Findlay had to tow Dr Stuart Burgess out of his farmyard and up to a track on the steep hillside before he could depart from Westerdale.
Dr Burgess had come to call because he is the Government's rural advocate and he had chosen this farm as the starting point for his national survey into the crisis in upland communities.
Richard Findlay was first brought here when he was two years old and has farmed all his life at Quarry Farm where he lives with his wife Polly and their young family. He's 40 years old and his attitude is far from that of a "dyed-in-the-wool" farmer who is not for the changing.
He is one of seven farmers in a group who have taken up a challenge from Prince Charles to be more enterprising. Following the Prince's visit, his Business in the Community organisation examined the moors picture and devised a plan for farmers to sell lamb direct to a supermarket. The progress of the "magnificent seven" and their arrangement with Asda was followed closely in these pages.
Richard says that doesn't mean he necessarily believes in everything that the Government and well-meaning rural advocates
say or do.
His sheep flock is vastly reduced from what it was prior to foot and mouth disease in 2001. But he has also increased his numbers of cattle since then. He and Polly have also found a very useful sideline in making honey and candles.
"We have 140 Swaledale ewes, which go on the moor, and around 100 Beltex and Beltex X ewes, with some of the pedigrees going for breeding tups. With running Swaledales we wanted an extreme tup to put on to the ones that we weren't breeding pure, to get a better quality butchers' lamb.
"We sent those lambs to Asda last year and we have a further two-year agreement with them on a fixed price. I'm very happy with what we have done there."
Given that lamb prices, along with beef prices, are riding along quite nicely at the moment, it could be argued that the supermarkets have simply decided that they don't want to have to pay prices that could go even higher – a regular supply of lamb at a non-fluctuating price is obviously something that appeals, and it appeals to Richard, too.
"The Asda deal is for a seasonal marketing programme over September to November and they have ordered twice as many for 2009 as they did last year through the seven participating farms. We all now know what price we are going to be getting and that it will afford us a reasonable premium.
"It is difficult to set a price so far in advance but we feel it is a very good one for that time of year. Asda also pick up all of the haulage and abattoir costs, too, so there's another saving there. Our Swaledale lambs weren't big enough to go into the Asda deal, but we are now in discussion with another supermarket over them and they are particularly keen on a March/April promotion of Swaledale lamb next year."
Traditionally, Swaledale lamb has been exported to Mediterranean countries that prefer smaller lambs, but Richard believes the supermarkets are responding to the demand for home-bred lamb on their shelves.
"One of the angles in which we sell in to Asda is the contribution the rearing makes to the environment, the maintenance of the heather moorland. What we don't suggest is that the lambs live on the moor for any length of time, but their mothers will at some point spend two to three years on it.
"The Swaledales will spend most of the summer there and supermarkets are now looking for those kind of environmental angles."
Richard's cattle system has changed markedly, too. He has reduced his diesel usage by 80 per cent and has reduced fertiliser from
45 tonnes to 10. The reason is that the cattle, all except five Belted Galloways, are not housed on the farm in
the winter.
"We were getting straw from Willie Wardman at Redcar, but after restocking following foot and mouth he told us that straw was a bit dear and offered his sheds and straw at Redcar.
"The first year we sent 50, the next 100 and then all the calves as well. He now buys all the calves off us as stores in November, houses our remaining stock during the winter, then when they come back here after calving, he also brings some of his stock to graze over summer.
"We work on a fixed price, calculating my costs and then agreeing what is a fair price for us both. If he does particularly well out of them, I'll get a profit share. What it all means is that since the stock isn't housed here in winter, we don't particularly need to make hay or silage."
To most hill farmers the idea of not going to market with your stock is still foreign, but Richard is happy with his arrangements on beef and sheep.
"There are disadvantages to selling direct. You never know whether you would have got a bit more for them at the mart, but that is balanced out by the fact that you at least have a definite price as well as other cost savings by not sending stock to marts."
Recently, Richard and Polly moved into bees and honey. "We have had bees here since 1970 when our shepherd kept them. One of my uncles took up beekeeping but then he moved abroad. I had always shied away, for fear of being stung, but with help from a local farmer friend of mine, John Randles, I started with them. We began with just a few hives but we now have nearly 40 at various locations."
The operation is now known as Westerdale Apiaries, and last year they sold 3000 jars of honey. They also started making candles from the wax.
"We were very grateful to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society's Growing Routes scheme as it was our first diversification from conventional farming. We put out leaflets about the honey and candles into the outlets and we're now getting visitors to the farm. They come here expecting to find a factory or tea shop, but interestingly they are pleasantly disappointed to find that everything happens virtually on the kitchen table."
Westerdale's school, pub and village shop all went a long time ago. Today it has a village hall, which Richard is involved with in trying to attract funding, and a church. Its chapel closed earlier this month.
"The problem for the dale in terms of amenities is its size. There are only seven farms now where there used to be 20. There are half the people there used to be living here. But we do have a close-knit community where everyone helps out and if the village hall was in a better state, I think it would get used far more. Our cricket teams are still going well, too."
Dr Stuart Burgess is due to deliver his report into upland communities in September. Fortunately, Richard and his wife Polly, along with their three young children – William, Evie and Honey – are making things work for themselves.
"Really what we are doing is starting to farm tourists. The environmental things that Natural England is wanting us to do are what we are doing. They're supporting us to keep sheep and people can come and see wading birds, curlews, lapwings and oystercatchers. I think they see that as taxpayers' money well spent."
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Friday 25 May 2012
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