The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2019 - Issue 64 | Page 40

40 WELLFIELD FARM AUG/SEP 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk MAINTAINING THE TRADITIONAL MIXED FARM FOR 250 YEARS Chris Berry talks with Mark Bulmer in Salton. SUFFOLK sheep have been synonymous with the Bulmer family at Wellfield Farm in Salton since Mark Bulmer’s grandfather brought the first Suffolks up into the area by train in the early 1930s. ‘Our flock was established in 1932, just a couple of years after we had our first,’ says Mark who is vice chairman of the North of England branch of the Suffolk Sheep Society and who has judged at Emley, Danby, Egton and Wensleydale this year. ‘Suffolks still have their place and a lot of commercial sheep farmers recognise their traits of faster growth, good feet and a good udder. We have a pedigree flock of 60 breeding ewes from which we breed tups that are sold both locally and through a number of leading auction marts in the north east.’ ‘We lamb them in January and show at the Great Yorkshire, Ryedale and Stokesley. We’ve had reserve female champion at Harrogate twice. This year we had cham- pion Suffolk at Ryedale Show, which went on to take the reserve interbreed shortwool title. The previous two years we had cham- pion interbreed shortwool with a gimmer shearling.’ Wellfield Farm runs to 250 acres owned with a further 80 rented. It is a mixed grassland and arable enterprise with 100 acres of cereals and 150 acres of grass. Crops include 30-40 acres of winter wheat; 50 acres of winter and spring barley for feed and the rest down to stubble turnips and fodder beet grown for the sheep and T. ELSEY TYRES LTD “TYRES MALTON” suckler herd. The farm has been in the Bulmer family for 250+ years. Mark and Wendy, his wife who comes from a Lincolnshire farming family in Metheringham between Lincoln and Sleaford, have two sons – George and Henry – and two daughters – Maisie and Rosie. George and Henry both work on the family farm and Maisie has a small herd of six Belted Galloways. She started with the breed four years ago. Rosie is getting married and works at Castle Howard. ‘Henry has a flock of 50 Texel breeding ewes,’ says Mark. ‘He’s doing the similar kind of thing that we do with the Suffolks by breeding to sell shearling tups. He’s fairly ruthless in his selection but keeps enough gimmers for replacements while selling others for breeding. The Texels lamb in March. They are pure bred and he doesn’t show them.’ ‘George has a herd of 15 pedigree Hereford cows. He bought his first cow when he was 11 and they are kept separate from the commercial herd of 80 Belgian Blue X Limousin sucklers that see us selling stock either privately or as stores in Malton and Thirsk, usually going at about 9 months but we have finished some this year at around 14 months. My dad, Mick used to finish cattle but when Wendy and I took over in 2001 we started breeding our own. It was a difficult time what with Foot and Mouth raging and we seemed to have everything thrown at us at once.’ ‘George shows the Herefords at Malton, Ryedale and the Great Yorkshire Show. This We are pleased to be associated with Mark & Wendy and wish them continued success for the future. Let us do the shopping around for your Farm & Motor Insurances Tel: [phone] Exhausts Batteries Car, truck & agricultural tyres 24hr breakdown & call out service Take advantage of the NFU affinity discount scheme for members with these manufacturers: Proud suppliers to Mark and Wendy Bulmer of Wellfield Farm Showfield Lane Industrial Estate, Malton, Yorkshire, YO17 6BT Call: 01653 693830 www.terryelseytyres.co.uk Harold Woolgar Insurance Tel. [phone] High Street, Epworth, DN9 1EP [email protected] We are Authorised & Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority #1 for finishing #1 for taste #1 for the industry www.suffolksheep.org