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“ Ten years ago I was in Canada where my uncle lives and I saw local dairy farms of 80-100 cows that were earning the equivalent of 40ppl while we were struggling at 25ppl . It has been so hard for UK dairy farmers and we ’ ve lost a lot of good men and women .
Trevor says he is now looking to the future with his son Ben and daughter Abbie who both work on the farm . Angela and Trevor also have a son who doesn ’ t work on the farm , Thomas , who is a mechanic and is currently a fitter working at Boulby Potash Mine .
“ For me it ’ s now about trying to create something for Ben and Abbie that is worth hanging on to . Ben went to Bishop Burton College where he earned a distinction in dairying and he ’ s really keen on the cows .
“ Abbie is really keen on the sheep . We have 300 Swaledale ewes and 100 Dalesbreds . The sheep tidy the cow ’ s grazing during the winter and go on to 150 acres of bankside in summer .
“ Tupping is from October 5 with first lambs due on March 5 . Ian Smith from Skipton does our scanning . We try to
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get lambing out of the way before we start calving . We have Teeswater and Bluefaced Leicester tups and produce Mashams and Mules with gimmer |
lambs sold at Ruswarp Mart and at the Wombleton sales . I like Mashams . We had them for years and although they are not as much in fashion I still like them . Fat |
lambs nearly all go to Ruswarp .
“ We buy pedigree Swaledales at the E District sale at Ruswarp and through the North York Moors Quality Sheep Association .
Angela and Trevor have also embraced diversification with a popular campsite and their son Tom and his wife Georgia are looking to set up property lets for holidays and permanent lets .
“ The campsite has 50 pitches , all with electric hookups . It ’ s all tourers and tents . Our visitors enjoy watching the milking . Angela runs it .
Angela is a North York Moors girl . Her dad was a village bobby in Sleights and Trevor has been a special constable .
Trevor says that as well as feeling his dairy farming career was saved by Yew Tree Dairies he has also found a bank that understands farming .
“ We have a great relationship with Yew Tree Dairies and without them we wouldn ’ t be dairy farming today . We have also been fortunate to find Oxbury Bank , which is purely agricultural focused . Hopefully our future is starting to look more secure !”
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