The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2013 - Issue 29 | Page 30

little bridge farm Living and breathing dairy cows Chris Berry meets Lizzie Miles at Little Bridge Farm, Ellerbeck. When dairy farmer Lizzie Miles gets up to milk at Little Bridge Farm in Ellerbeck for 6 o’clock each morning she admits that her looks are as far away from her show appearance as they can be. “My hair is up, I don’t look good and I’m certainly not looking the way I do when I’m competing,” Lizzie confessed. “But getting up at that time, opening the gates and having fantastic cows looking back at you is what keeps me here and gives me such a kick. “It’s the constant striving to build and breed a better cow that provides longevity, good conformation and good feet and legs that is my ambition. This is why I’m here. The shows are great and I love the camaraderie and the competition but creating better cows is the ultimate goal.” Lizzie is now the fourth farming generation of her family and farms with her father Peter and uncle David on their 340-acre operation that includes 130 Holstein cows and 150 followers and is based across the two farms of Little Bridge and Sydal Lodge Farm at East Harlsey. They also have 350 breeding ewes and trade as JL Miles & Sons. “Our aim with the sheep is to produce really good fat lambs with great conformation,” she explained. “Putting the Texel X to the B V?FW?&?GV6W26???v??B?G?R??"v?F?v??B&6?V?B?B?V?G??b6?R??N( ?2&V??v??B'WF6?W.( ?2??"?vR?6?WBF?V?&6?F?FW?V?F?&?GV6R&W?6V?V?BWvW2?( ?F?R6?VWG&FR?2?6?VBW??&V6V?B?V'2??&V?V?&W"v?V??v27F???B66?????BvV?BF?F?R?fW7F?6??&?WBv?F??FB?F?N( ?2v?V?6?VWvW&R????rfW'??GF?R?B?Rv?V?B&R6????r??2?VB?'WB?N( ?2v???rf"&WGFW"??r?( ??????^( ?2w&VB?w&?FfF?W"6?RF?V??W&&V6??2?V'2v???W"w&?FfF?W"76VBv???#?B6?R?2??????rf?'v&BF?F?RF?v?V?F?R??W2f??v???6V?V'&FR?V'2BF?Rf&??( ??fR?v?2v?FVBF?F?F??2?BV?F??FV??Bv?V?B&R?G&V?F?F?R??F?Rf&??vWGF??rF?F?R6V?GW'?v?V?B&Rf?F7F?2?( ??6?f?'GV?FRF?BFBW6?W2?RF?6??WfR?Bv?fW2?R6??V6?V?6?W&vV?V?B?( ?v?F?6?w2?B?2??&?WB??r??R'&VVBF?V???6??7F?F?F?v?F?FB&?WB6?w2?B'V??2?vR?FW&??VB?'&VF?R?B6?VWF?V??W&R??W"?W&BfW&vR?2?W7B?fW"??G&W2'WBvRF??( ?BW6?F?V???v?V?B&F?W"vWB??G&W0???W72W"?7FF????BvWB??F?W"?7FF????WB?bF?V?2&W7V?B?( ?vR6V???W"??F?$????????v?VB6??G&7B?B?fRV??Vv???Bf?"w&???r?B6??v??r?( ?6??v??rF?'?6?w2?2fW'??V6?f??F???r?????^( ?2FB?V?6?R?B?W"w&?FFB?fR???B&6?w&?V?B??6??v??r?'WB?Bv2g&?V?B?bF?Rf???6&??FF?R?v????G&?GV6VB????RF?F?Rv?&?B?b6??v??r?( ?v2????VB???vR??BF?6&??B?( ?fR??r&VV?6??v??r????v?f?"F?R7B???R?V'2?V'2???r?( ?????RgV???F??R?F?R6V?V7F????b6??r6?w2?2?v?2?????B?F??2?V"??BGv??GF?R??W2V&?&?VBg&??26???2F?W?vW&R&?&??6??WF??W2??R?W7@??&???f&?6W'f?6W2&R?V6VBF?&R76?6?FVBv?F?????R??W0??3??Vr?6W#2f&?W'4?'@??F?&VB??&R?f?6?Bwwr?f&?W'2??'B?6??V????