The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2015 - Issue 41 | Page 46

Home Farm SELBY LIVESTOCK AUCTION MART LTD “YORKSHIRE’S FRIENDLY LIVESTOCK MART” Weekly Sales of Fatstock - Wednesdays Pigs 9am - Sheep 9.45am - Cattle & Cows 10.30am Store Stock - Saturdays Pigs 9.45am - Sheep 10.15 - Cattle 10.45 On alternate Saturdays Fur, Feathers & Miscellaneous items at 9:30am Entries taken on the day and from 9am to 4pm on Friday prior to sale Pleased to be associated with Martin Hodgson Tel: [phone] Email: [email protected] www.selbymart.co.uk Auctioneer Richard Haigh 0776 8594535 Ripon Farm Services are proud suppliers to Martin Hodgson of Home Farm 46 Aug/Sep 2015 www.farmers-mart.co.uk used to make non-slip carrier bags. We try to do most jobs in-house and that may be the reason why we have been quite lucky not to have come across Blackgrass problems. We don’t store any grain on the farm and through a joint venture with one of my neighbouring tenant farmers, we now share a combine and grain storage.” To the locals - and for miles around - Home Farm is known by a different name as the festive season approaches. The sign at the farm gate is ‘The Christmas Tree Farm’ and this business has grown massively since starting in the mid-90s. Martin explained: “We now have 10 acres of trees. That’s 18,000 mostly Norwegian Spruce and the non-drop Nordmann variety that take eight years to get to six feet and are, therefore, ready for the public. We also grow much larger trees to 18ft for those customers wanting them for outside displays in gardens or shopping centres. We start selling the larger ones in midOctober and we’re open for the public who can come along and cut down their own tree. We re-plant every year with around 3000 saplings.” The Mexborough Estate has been a member of the Royal Forestry Society for many years and the Methley Estate has won awards in the past but it is Martin’s enthusiasm and passion for trees and wildlife that has brought about the latest addition to the farm – children! “We now have coach parties of schoolchildren coming here to learn about trees and wildlife. Barbara Branningham from the Teaching Trees Project is fantastic with the children and I help by showing them how to plant trees. Barbara teaches how to identify trees when they have no leaves and how to recognise them when they have. She asks them what is made out of wood and explains how trees grow and how to work out their age. We have oak, sycamore, beech, horse chestnut and willow here and others, so there’s plenty to go at. It’s great to see young people interested in woodland and how we look after the countryside.” The latest addition to the farm enterprise at Methley is a small flock of 20 pedigree Shropshire ewes. “We started with them about four years ago and we are gradually building up the flock. They’re good in woodland and enjoy grazing around the trees.” The 1,200 acres under Martin’s management also include around 50 acres of water via two large ox bow lakes. Around 35 acres of wild water meadow has also been created within the 150 acres where the rivers Aire and Calder meet. The farmland was in a Countryside Stewardship Scheme until two years ago and is now in both ELS and HLS schemes. Martin’s parents, David and Val, now live in Lodge House on the Estate. Martin lives with his partner, Denise, who is a Doctor of Politics, former university lecturer and works in the box office at West Yorkshire Playhouse in Leeds and enjoys equestrian events. Martin has 22 year old twins –Katie who is a wedding co-ordinator and Matthew who is a qualified agricultural engineer with Scruton’s in Riccall, near Selby.