The Festive Farm Shed, Bradford: The Yorkshire family farm which has found a festive formula for success

The Festive Farm Shed is run by John’s wife Lisa, and also transforms to lambing experiences in spring and Hallowe’en in October, but Lisa says this time of year has become very special because of how the whole family has helped and how it now holds a special place for those who come.

“Everybody has to come together, like any family farm, to help and John and David’s sisters Jennifer and Margaret are involved and their husbands.

"It’s such a happy time and we’ve found what we offer is as much about enhancing everyone’s wellbeing as it is about selling trees.

“This has become a place where families can enjoy their time together without queueing and in a friendly yet quieter atmosphere than might be the case in bigger places.”

Lisa says that the feedback she receives from parents, particularly of children who are homeschooled or have autism has been tremendous.

“We’ve built on that, recognising that not all children want to be somewhere where there’s lots of noise and we’ve made sure that we have quiet times for children who may have issues and that their parents would prefer they be comfortable and can have a great time.

"We’re about providing what parents who visit say makes a nice experience, not as commercial as bigger places.

“That’s where I think we have found that little niche, whether it’s at Christmas or during lambing time when the Festive Farm Shed is open again. We’re open for trees, wreaths and all things Christmas right through until Christmas Eve.

“Many of the children who come here have never been on a real working farm before.

"That’s really interesting for them, particularly when we are open during lambing time, but they can see the sheep while they’re here at Christmas too and enjoy making wreaths with their parents, which is also the time Jennifer and Margaret are here, meet Father Christmas and pick up their tree.”

Lisa says that the focus on The Festive Farm Shed Christmas trees also offers a unique flavour.

“We sell Christmas trees that are all fresh from farms in Yorkshire. While the Nordmann Fir is still the most popular tree we also have a speciality with the Noble Fir, they’re the crème de la crème of Christmas trees.

“The Nordmann Fir has become Britain’s favourite because of its low needle drop, having taken over that title from the Norway Spruce, which everyone knows smells really nice but does lose its needles.

"That’s what we all had in the ‘80s when I was a girl, but they left all their needles on the floor.

“The Noble Fir has that classic Christmas scent, their needles are chunkier and because of that they are stronger for holding such as baubles.

"We are also using these on top of our normal wreaths, like a crown on the base of a Nordman Fir wreath. It’s worth seeing if you’ve not seen it done before and another unique part of what we do.

“Everything is about families being together doing things at Christmas, and we have mulled wine and hot chocolate. We’re also handy for buying milk because we have fridges full of milk for our milk round.”

Rapefield Farm has always been about family. Patricia and Jack moved into the farmhouse in 1970 having started out in a cottage on the farm. Patricia recalls it well.

“When we came here we just had one pig! We bought just two fields, only four acres and with the boys and their families we built the farm up to what it is now, running to around 250 acres.

"I’m incredibly proud of what we have all achieved and what is happening today. You’ve got to move with the times.”

John says the farm has grown a little further recently.

“We purchased another parcel of land 18 months ago within the ring fence of Rapefield Farm, which has allowed further growth in cattle and sheep numbers.

“About four years ago we simplified our pig farming from having had a sow herd and now have 250 pigs on bed and breakfast accommodation. We get them at 30 kilos and they’re here right through to finishing.

“We have around 200 Aberdeen Angus-crosses from dairy cows that come to us at three weeks old that we take through to 21 months. We aim to put about 100 a year through.”

John says they have installed a robotic calf feeder which has improved monitoring of feeding, performance and the health of the stock.

“We installed it last year for dispensing milk. It has made milk feeding easier but also now gives us a lot more information regarding the speed of drinking, mobility of calves, and builds a health picture whereby we can possibly find a poorly calf before it knows its poorly.

“If a calf starts slowing down its feeding rate there’s generally a reason. That’s usually it it has a high temperature that could escalate to pneumonia.

"This piece of kit has almost eliminated calf pneumonia and has also brought down vet costs. It operates a system of gradual weaning. When the calf reaches 35 days of age the amount of milk offered is reduced.

" After another 35 days when it reaches 70, it is not allowed any more milk. The calf then looks for the corn troughs in the pens and water.

“We’d wanted to instal one for a while and it was the growth in numbers that allowed us to invest. You can’t expand and not try different things.”

John says the cattle graze for a minimum of six months, part of a scheme they are on with their buyers.

David says the sheep flock runs to 170 Texel-cross and Mule-cross breeding ewes and that lambing will be in mid-March for 2026 and that their all grass farm has produced what will hopefully be enough silage for winter.

“We sell fat lambs at Skipton auction mart. We sold some with lambs at foot this year.

“We had four cuts this year with two good cuts. We’ve done alright. We got a cut in early May and then with the conditions being so dry at back end we did another cut for the clamp at the beginning of October.”

David says the milk round that the family has now run for 55 years in Denholme increased during Covid and that they have maintained that increase.

“Myself and John go out four days a week. We both did it with dad.”

Lisa says that anyone wanting to visit The Festive Farm Shed is more than welcome, but that wreath making needs booking online at [email protected]