The Yorkshire family which has eyes on the future for its cattle and sheep farm

Planning for future generations to follow into the family farm, especially when more than one sibling is involved, can prove challenging. But one farm in West Yorkshire has been quietly going about just that in the past two decades.

Brothers Ian and Martin Throup farm in partnership with their parents Ken and Lynne who moved to Woofa Bank Farm on Silsden Moor nearly 50 years ago. Ian runs the dairy cow operation at Woofa, while Martin runs the beef and sheep at Oak Tree Farm which is linked by their land.

“We own 460 acres and farm about 620 acres with what we also rent,” says Martin. “The split between the two farms is pretty even and is still run as one farm business. It’s all down to grass with about 550 mowable acres. It’s very good land, but only because it is farmed to be good land.

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“Going back about 17 years, we started to build the farmhouse and buildings that are now Oak Tree Farm where I live.

Ian Martin Throup Woofa Bank Farm, Silsden Moor Ian and  Martin are pictured with there father and mother Ken and  lynne Ians wife Louise and children Alfie 11, April 8 and Martins daughter Poppy aged 13.Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon HulmeIan Martin Throup Woofa Bank Farm, Silsden Moor Ian and  Martin are pictured with there father and mother Ken and  lynne Ians wife Louise and children Alfie 11, April 8 and Martins daughter Poppy aged 13.Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme
Ian Martin Throup Woofa Bank Farm, Silsden Moor Ian and Martin are pictured with there father and mother Ken and lynne Ians wife Louise and children Alfie 11, April 8 and Martins daughter Poppy aged 13.Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme

“Dad’s plan was that we could build another farm at the other end of the land from Woofa, split the land, then Ian and I would both have a farm to run. We’ve been on with some building project or other just about every four years.

Woofa’s biggest changes to its dairy set-up have come about in more recent times, as Ian explains: “We put up a new dairy shed in 2019, and we’ve done everything we can with the new housing to make life as comfortable as possible for the cows.

“We put in four new robotic Lely A5 milkers in April last year. I’d not thought of going into robots before, but when we put the shed up, our cow numbers went up and we needed to do something as we were taking four hours at the end of each day purely on milking in our 30-year old De Laval parlour.

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“Grants came available and we were fortunate to get them with the help of a chap called Neil Pickard. Life is still busy, but we now have a far better lifestyle. We have 240 Holstein Friesian dairy cows and we’re normally milking around 210-215 with a herd average of around 10,500 litres and our milk going to Dales Dairies.

Ian Martin Throup Woofa Bank Farm,.. Martin Throup is pictured with is sheep at Oak Tree Farm..Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon HulmeIan Martin Throup Woofa Bank Farm,.. Martin Throup is pictured with is sheep at Oak Tree Farm..Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme
Ian Martin Throup Woofa Bank Farm,.. Martin Throup is pictured with is sheep at Oak Tree Farm..Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme

“Morning milking was never an issue, but we used to start afternoon milking at 2.30pm-2.45pm so whenever you needed to be somewhere you were always having to think about coming home around 2pm.

"My son Alfie is 11 and has just started playing rugby for Wharfedale. Last Saturday we didn’t get home until half past four, but it didn’t matter because the cows were still getting milked.”

Ian says the weather over the past year hasn’t helped.

“The cows are averaging 35 litres per day, but last year they were doing just over 37. It was so wet early on this year that we couldn’t travel to look after the grass, so I’ve lost some milk in that respect.

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“When we got on and travelled we were a fortnight later taking our first cut. It’s not been a good year for us, for grass, but we got three cuts with a heavy crop in early June and a good third crop in September.

"We‘ve ended up buying some maize. We bought a bit last year and we liked it, so we’ve gone with it again, as it has helped with the condition of the cows and balanced their diet which is normally grass silage and a blend from Dugdale Nutrition.”

In common with most dairy farms Ian is on an all year round calving system and says he’s presently on with creating a younger herd.

“We use sexed semen through Genus on 100 of the cows and don’t sell any heifers at the moment. We had a very old herd and so presently we have a number of heifers coming through. The aim is to increase the yield on the cows we have rather than increase cow numbers. The main thing is the cows are healthy.”

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Martin’s beef enterprise at Oak Tree is made up of Belgian Blue crossed beef calves and a few Aberdeen Angus-crosses from Ian’s dairy herd and similar cattle from another farmer.

“I get about 140 beef cattle from Woofa each year at about three weeks old and top up with 60-100 bought-in ones from a mate who rears 700 calves a year that are very similar to Ian’s, so they all get on.

“Last year we put up a calf rearing shed at Oak Tree that can hold 80 calves on milk in pens of 10.

“We take everything through to finishing at between 20-24 months and currently we have about 480 cattle with something like 10 generally going into Woodheads straight from the farm every week or fortnight.

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“Young stock is turned out to grass between 7-14 months. After that they’re fed silage and a high protein diet and then a finishing diet of silage and barley aiming at achieving about 650 kilos that sees them around 380-400 kilos deadweight.”

Martin has switched the sheep enterprise since he took on Oak Tree.

“Dad had always had sheep and dairy cows, but 17 years ago we started building up the beef cattle. Up until then we’d been selling off the calves from the dairy herd.

“We used to have 1000 breeding sheep, 800 of them Swaledales until 10 years ago but as we’ve increased the cattle we’ve slowly reduced the sheep to 750. Our mix is currently 100 Swaledales, 470 Mules and 180 Texels.

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“Until five years ago we used to breed a lot of Mule gimmers sold for breeding, but financially I felt it was better to breed fat lambs.

“We put the Bluefaced Leicester tup to the Swales and breed about 100 Mule gimmers to replenish numbers. We don’t mind older sheep and some have lasted ten years.

“We use Texel tups on the Mules and Texels. I buy four Texel tups every year at Skipton. I’ll also occasionally buy a Bluefaced Leicester. Lambing is generally from 10 March, usually all done within four weeks with first lot into market during June.

“We don’t like too many Texel ewes. They’re not just as motherly, but it is nice to have some better butcher’s lambs. We sell at Skipton livestock market or to Woodheads.”

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Ian is married to Louise who helps on the farm and has son Alfie and daughter April. Martin has a daughter, Poppy.

Ian is also heavily involved with and looking forward to the fourth Rudolph’s Run, the festive tractor run organised by Lothersdale Agricultural Discussion Group taking place Saturday December 14 when 150 tractors bedecked with everything from inflatable Santas to tinsel, lights and festive spirit will be heading across Wharfedale and Airedale.

“It’s an amazing event,” says Ian. “Last year we raised in excess of £33,000 for Sue Ryder Manorlands and Yorkshire Air Ambulance. It’s all about raising money for local charities and promoting agriculture within the local community.

“This year we start at Wharfedale Farmers Auction Mart in Otley 6pm and will visit Burley-in-Wharfedale, Ilkley, Addingham, Silsden, Steeton and Crosshills finishing on Skipton High Street.”

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