The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2018 - Issue 58 | Page 41
• AUG/SEP 2018
75282 - King Hope & Co - QUTR.pdf 1 15/08/2018 13:54:37
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LOW WHINHOLME FARM 41
TODAY’S BUSINESS
TRADITIONAL VALUES
An established firm offering specialist services
for farmers and all agricultural related businesses.
CY
CMY
K
www.kinghope.co.uk
Contact us on 01609 780909 or at [email protected]
We are pleased to support the Johnson family
‘My membership number is 19,’ says
Robin. ‘So, I was definitely among the first
to have them and I do well at shows such
as our home show North Yorkshire County
Show where Colin is chairman, as well as
the Great Yorkshire Show and Masham
Sheep Fair. I had champion senior ram at
Harrogate last year and had a first with my
ram lamb this year as well as two seconds
and everything placed.’
‘The flock runs to 80 breeding ewes and
they pay for themselves, eating the grass
and doing well at the shows. I sell a few
tups too and one is currently on a ram
compare scheme where all sheep breeds
are compared. I think lamb should be com-
pared like wine as you get many different
breeds and the lamb all tastes different. It’s
a bit like when you compare a £5 bottle of
wine with a £20. To my mind the Bleu du
Maine is definitely the £20 bottle.’
Robin’s sense of humour is never far
away either and his love of his Bleu du
Maines is manifested in the way he talks
about other lamb breeds.
‘I was abused as a child you know,
because I was forced to eat Suffolk gim-
mer lamb, but seriously you should taste
different lamb. Bleu du Maine is very sweet
and lean and with its open grain texture and
intermuscular fat just to the right quantity
you can’t beat it. I sell a few half lambs.’
Colin’s involvement with North Yorkshire
County Show came about through well-
known show man Peter Pybus.
‘Peter got me involved. He said ‘Colin,
you’re a useful man. It’s time you helped
us out.’ I started as part of the showfield
management team and I’m still involved
with it today as well as being chairman. If
anybody else wants to volunteer to take
over I’m happy to stand aside. We have
excellent new show hosts Jo and Robert
Ropner of Camp Hill that has good access
points. We’ve been there two years.’
Colin is also a director of Ridings Machin-
ery Ring.
‘RMR celebrated its 20th anniversary last
year. It has changed with the times and has
become a useful commodity supplier for
many members buying fuel and fertiliser.
We continue to use it for labour too with
contractor William Alderson.’
The family started farming at Low
Whinholme in 1898 with Colin and Robin’s
great grandfather George Hutchinson then
passing on to their grandfather Thomas Wil-
liam Johnson and their father David William
Johnson.
‘Ross makes the fifth generation to farm
here. He’s married to farmer’s daughter
Charlotte (Hugill). They met through young
farmers. Three generations of us have been
chairman of Great Smeaton YFC. I also have
a daughter Lisa who has two little boys.’
Colin is married to Karen. Robin isn’t mar-
ried and his humour comes back into play
at this point.
‘There’s only the dog that will have any-
thing to do with me!’
Brian Robinson Machinery are proud to hav e
supplied the Johnsons with a wide range of
agricultural machinery for over 35 years, we hope for
that to continue into the future.
BRM wish the Johnson family all the best for the future.
‘Service is our business’
BRIAN ROBINSON MACHINERY LTD
[email protected]
01325 378552
WWW.BRMLTD.CO.UK