Exclusive: Farm with mission to sow seeds in minds of children

Owner Steve Newlove, 30, and his mother Joan, 73, were left tens of thousands of pounds in debt and forced to slaughter a herd of 800 pigs kept on their land after a company they were in partnership with went bust.

The family admit they were close to shutting down the business and were in despair.

But only a few years later, they are submitting plans to open a 1.2m community working farm on the site at Whixley, near Knaresborough, to teach traditional farming techniques to more than 180 schools.

Mr Newlove, who was raised by his mother on the farm with his brother and two sisters after their father died in 1982, said: "That morning when we found out we were going to have to kill the sows was just heartbreaking.

"We were so low, it was 95 per cent of our income that had just vanished over night.

"We were tens of thousands of pounds in debt but we decided we were going to put everything into the plan to transform it into a working educational farm.

"We are going to put it back exactly how it was. We are looking to use traditional horse-drawn ploughs, stay away from pesticides and we have collected more than 100 rare breed animals already. The pigs we used to have were hybrids just designed to create massive amounts of meat as quickly as possible, but we want to get back to the land and do this right.

"We will keep it as a working farm 365 days a year but it will also be open to the community.

"There is not another one like it in the whole of North Yorkshire.

"I'm delighted. I have only ever wanted to be a farmer. When I was at school the teachers never even bothered asking me when they were going around the class because they already knew the answer.

"I am over the moon that we have got to this stage. My mum is really happy as well; she thinks it is a wonderful idea to keep the family business going.

"We have come a very long way since we almost went out of business but that feeling is always there in the back of your mind.

"We have put everything into this and we cannot wait for it to come off.

"My dad would have been very proud that we are keeping it going, I wish he was here to see it."

Over the past year the family has amassed a large collection of more than 100 rare animals on the farm, which was used by settlers as far back as 1,200 BC.

They already have four ouessant sheep – famed for their tiny size – golden guernsey goats, alpacas, four breeds of pig, jersey cows and nine donkeys.

They have also been working with more than 180 schools to tailor the farm to the educational needs of the area.

The family are in talks with regional development agency Yorkshire Forward to help to provide funding for the scheme and plan to get the rest of the cash through bank loans.

Gill Hart, senior teacher at Great Ouseburn Community Primary School, said: "We are very much looking forward to the farm opening up.

"It will be brilliant for the whole of the community.

"It is an excellent idea and the special breeds will be of particular interest to the children."

The plans are being submitted to Harrogate Borough Council next week and if accepted, it is hoped the farm will be up and running by next year.

If the plans come to fruition, the school children will be shown how farming has changed down the years.

Farms often had many different types of livestock which all served some purpose.

Before the 1950s and the spread of farm machinery, larger horses were used to pull equipment while smaller ponies were used to carry milk from fields and barns.

Geese commonly used to be part of the farm economy with farmers keeping as many as 100 at a time and beehives were also a regular sight.

100 cheque for diary farmers

British dairy farmers who produce more than 50,000 litres of milk a year will be in line for cheques of about 100 as part of a European Union fund to support the sector. More than 26m from the EU Dairy Fund will soon be distributed to British dairy farmers.

The 273m EU Dairy Fund was established to help farmers who have been severely affected by changes in demand and prices over the last year, while keeping administrative costs to a minimum and supporting a competitive dairy sector.

Farming Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said: "We've agreed with the industry that a flat rate payment is the fairest way to help."