64 LODGE FARM APR / MAY 2022 • farmers-mart . co . uk
While Stephen generally has a positive outlook to life he also admits to never being more concerned about farming ’ s future than he is today .
‘ As we all know , the corn price is doing well at the moment , but that is largely on the back of what is happening politically through the Russian offensive . I ’ ve never known a time where we are now .
‘ We are still yet to see what will happen long-term as a result of Brexit ; we are not getting the chemicals that everyone else in the world can use on their crops as our hands are tied by Defra environmentalists ; and with what ’ s happening in Russia the cost of nitrogen and fuel has increased exponentially and my costs have increased massively . It ’ s all getting harder and harder .’
‘ But things do change . When the pandemic first hit it affected the potato market immediately . I was at the stage where we were set to plant for the coming season and everything looked as thought it had fallen off the cliff edge . Was I doing the right thing ? Within weeks crisping factories couldn ’ t keep up with demand as it became an even more wanted comfort food .’
‘ It costs us £ 1m per year to put our potatoes in the ground and our tractors blow 400 litres a day , so we have to be very careful over our costs – and if Russia shakes hands with China what will that do to world pricing of fertiliser ? Our big worry at the moment is the unknown .’
Stephen says he uses his grain crop as a balancing act to his business .
‘ We use our winter wheat feed varieties as our cash flow and we are fortunate that we have invested so heavily in grain and potato stores , which means we have been able to pick up on the price that grain has reached ; but with fertiliser costs having trebled we have needed to sell at that kind of figure . Having said all that , every time I have sold any grain forward the price has then gone up , but that ’ s the nature of the game we ’ re in .’
‘ Our stores at Stonegrave and at Wombleton Airfield offer us the ability of short , medium and long term storage , which has proved very useful and continues to do so . It affords us the time for added value when prices go well .’
Stephen and Tim ’ s wheat normally comes in at an average of around 3.5 tonnes per acre across a variety of land that includes sandy land in the East Riding of Yorkshire where the Rooke family came from originally as well as varied land types in a variety of locations in Ryedale including Lodge Farm in Nunnington where Stephen lives and Manor Farm , Stonegrave where Tim lives .
‘ We have sandy land in the East Riding and more clay based land in Ryedale . We even have some really good land at Fadmoor . Overall we generally farm across Grade 2 and 3 land . And we also trade our straw for muck .’ Stephen and Tim were never East Riding lads . ‘ In the 1950s my father came up from the family farm at Wilberfoss , where we still farm today , when he acquired Lodge Farm from Nunnington Estate in 1957 . He acquired Manor Farm in 1963 . I was reared here , going to Nunnington School and then St Peter ’ s in York .’
Stephen is married to TV presenter and voiceover professional Jo who you may recognise from the recent
Omaze TV ads that show multi-million pound houses being given away through fundraising efforts on behalf of charities . Her professional name is her maiden name Jo Pickard and Jo was also born and raised in North Yorkshire .
‘ I was born in Scarborough and grew up in Gillamoor where my parents had the Royal Oak pub . I always wanted to be an actress , followed my dream , went down to London , had a part in the first Jed Mercurio TV show ‘ Bodies ’ and appeared in Heartbeat before a presenting opportunity came up .’
Jo ’ s career has since taken in the London Olympics and Paralympics and Rio Olympics and Paralympics and the Volvo Ocean Race .
‘ I left Yorkshire at 18 and never thought I would return here to live , let alone meet Stephen and get married ! I met Stephen through my brother Jonny .’
‘ Stephen built me a recording studio for my voiceover work , which is the way I have changed my career , and ironically I am now on TV as the face and brand of Omaze ’ s campaign . It ’ s a funny old world . I do a lot of stuff for Netflix and have narrated on TV series and dubbed a series called The Girl From Oslo . I ’ m also the character in a movie called The Art of Love .’
Sweeting Bros Ltd
Operating nationwide from our base in Yorkshire since 1968
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