Pumpkin picking for dogs: The Yorkshire farm which spotted a gap in the market with pumpkin picking for dogs
It’s that time of year when for some farmers the world turns orange, people turn up to pick their own vegetable that they will probably never eat and where, at one farm in East Yorkshire, there are special times that could be referred to as ‘barking’.
Ollie White farms at Butt Farm near Beverley living with his wife Jen and four years ago the couple joined the throng of farms around the UK that produce an annual 15 million pumpkins of which very little goes into the food chain.
The phenomenal growth of the pumpkin in this country is down to Hallowe’en, dressing up and Jack o’ Lantern faces, but at Butt they’ve gone into new territory with pumpkin picking for dogs!
“We saw there was a gap in the market for pumpkins where we are because there was nobody growing any volume north of Hull,” says Ollie.
“We now grow between 15,000-20,000 pumpkins each year, mostly the orange carving pumpkins to 12 varieties of squashes, whether pumpkins or gourds, including all colours, but generally people come for a nice orange one to carve.
“Last year we started with the dog events as people were asking if they could bring their dogs with them to the pumpkin patch. Pumpkin fields aren’t really for dogs, especially when we have a lot of public here, but because so many were asking we thought we’d try a dog only event, after our main picking hours.
“We opened up for 80 places per session between 4pm-6pm. Just four sessions, and we sold out within a week. We ended up having 500 dogs here over seven sessions. It was unbelievable. We had a Grey Fergie tractor at the entrance and people had their dog sat on seat and were taking pics. It was absolutely bonkers.
Ollie and Jen didn’t just go into the idea blithely. They were working in conjunction with the owner of a shop in Beverley that specialises in all things dog.
“Jen and I enjoy working with and learning from others and it was Lucy Thompson who has Oh My Dog in Beverley who guided us in right direction with a real party atmosphere for dogs and their owners with dog agility, a ball pool, apple bobbing (for dogs). It seemed ridiculous but people loved it. Lucy also brings a little pop up shop. It’s a really nice event. I didn’t know there was such a thing as Pup Influencers where dogs have their own accounts on Instagram that have 100,000s of followers.
Ollie says the last of their initial four dog only events takes place tomorrow (Sunday) but that more are likely to be scheduled if demand goes the same way as last year.
Butt Farm is part of the White family’s farming enterprise that sees the main larger agricultural share just under 20 miles away at Eastrington.
“We own 350 acres at Eastrington and took on 180 acres ten years ago on a farm business tenancy which we rent from Albanwise and the Risby Estate at Butt,” says Ollie. “It’s a farm partnership with my mum Pam and my brother Christian.
Ollie says that while Butt Farm has arable land and they have cattle, as they have at Eastrington, his and Jen’s plan was always to make use of their location.
“We’re so well placed for people coming to Beverley, to big events in Hull and only a dozen miles from the coast that our plan was always to set up a campsite. It took two years to get planning permission passed but it has been one of most successful things we’ve done with 30 pitches, 23 of them with hard standing and 25 with electrics.
“We have tourers, caravans, motorhomes, camper vans all year round, plus a straw bale lodge in conjunction with local farmer Sam Atkinson and three converted gypsy wagons. This year my godfather Eddie Patchett came up with a permanently erected tent for people touring on bicycles that don’t want to put a tent up when they arrive. We have tent pitches on from April to October. Beverley has so much going for it and there are so many events. It’s a 40 minute stroll into town or 10 minutes by bike.
While dogs and pumpkins, tents and tourers play their part, farming still plays the pivotal and central role in business at both Beverley and Eastrington
“Here at Butt Farm we have around 50 acres of grass and the rest is arable cropping,” says Ollie. “It is better land than we have at Eastrington, still heavy going but it does well for combinable crops.
“When we took on Butt there was myself and dad on the farm at Eastrington where Christian and I are fourth generation farmers. At the time it was at the crossroads as 350 acres couldn’t support two families. We couldn’t afford to buy anything, so we looked to rent and found Butt. It’s 45 minutes between farms on a tractor.
“I don’t go to Eastrington every day, although during summertime I’ll be there a lot of the time. Christian was in the poultry industry up until three years ago and that’s when he came back to work on the farm. We’d lost dad three years prior.
“Across the two farms we have around 350 acres of arable cropping growing wheat, barley, oilseed rape, vining peas for Bird’s Eye, winter linseed and some grass. We’re also in environmental stewardship and going for the new SFI. We have around 220 cattle and feed all our own barley.
“This year we’re putting down 80 acres of barley and we have 150 acres of wheat going in with a lot of Butt going into wheat this year. We will also have 30 acres of vining peas, but the rest will be going into SFI agreements.
“We aim for 3.5 tonnes per acre for wheat and 3 tonnes for barley. This year we were at 2.5 wheat and 2 for barley, massively down because of establishment last year when it was horrible. I did 24 hours drilling throughout Sunday finishing by Monday 9 o’clock before it started raining, just to try and get in as much in as we could.
“Here at Butt we usually run about 60 cattle, buying from Andrew Sewell near York who gets beef-crosses from Metcalfe Farms in Leyburn, rears them to 200 kilos. At this time of year we get 60 calves in, over-winter them in the sheds, put them out in summer then finish them, we have the last 20 of last year’s 60 out now.
Ollie also works for Promar International conducting the annual Farm Business Survey of farms that submit figures regarding productivity.
He and Jen have found new ways to earn income by utlising their farm’s location.
“We could see the potential,” says Ollie. “Jen is the main driver of all things pumpkins. They and the tourism side are diversifications to support the farm.
The dogs-only pumpkin events are called Howloween. You should check the website for tomorrow and additional dates.
https://www.ticketebo.co.uk/butt-farm-pumpkin-patch/
Pumpkin picking takes place at Butt Farm (without dogs) up until Thursday 31 October. All dates and times are shown on the main website https://www.buttfarm.co.uk/pumpkin-patch.html