• AUG / SEP 2022
HUTTS FARM 53
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Mark says that meetings relating to ideas and getting new projects off the ground started in mid-2021 .
“ The loss of the BPS is going to have a huge effect and this is one thing that can at least do some good along the way . There are some really good people involved , from Natural England and Matthew Trevelyan , who works with his small team and is the field officer wit the Nidderdale AONB .
“ Matthew is a farmer himself , which means he understands – and he goes around to see farmers and help with submissions and then presents applications to us .
“ Anything that requires funding of over £ 5000 comes to the panel for approval and we ’ ve given out far more than that on some individual proposals , so this is something for farmers to look at closely . We certainly hope they will , as the money won ’ t be around forever . The project and the money attributed to it only lasts until 2024 .
Mark says this wasn ’ t something he had looked to get involved with .
“ I ’ m a great believer in Countryside Stewardship even though it is as most farmers know a very difficult scheme . We have persevered and have planted lots of hedges and rebuilt stone walls and gateways , but I stress this isn ’ t about that .
“ I became involved with FIPL which has a panel of people from Harrogate Borough Council and Nidderdale AONB through my stewardship adviser . I was kind of mugged into it , but I ’ m determined to help make it work for farmers . Really , it ’ s a no-brainer .
Mark grew up at Gatenby and moved to Grewelthorpe with his wife Lynne when they acquired the tenancy of The Hutts Farm in the mid-80s .
“ My parents ’ farm was at Gatenby on MoD ground at RAF Leeming . The RAF were redeveloping it for the Tornados in 1986 . We had part owned and part tenanted MoD land down there and when they were restructuring they took land off us .
“ Lynne and I were looking for another farm at that time and rather serendipitously we heard of The Hutts Farm that was looking for a new tenant . We met Major General & Lady Dalton , he was ex-army , and we took on the 140 acre farm . We married and moved in here in 1986 when I was 24 going on 25 . The start of our farming story .
“ When the RAF finished their development and realised they didn ’ t need the land any longer dad took it back . When dad wanted to retire , around 1990 , I took that on from him .
Mark took on his only owned acreage in 1995 .
“ Dad wanted to sell the 60 acres he owned at Gatenby . We bought it and ended up with a 250-acre farm operation there , including rented land .
“ Up here at The Hutts we had a new landlord , Peter Roberts , after Major General Dalton passed away .
“ We now farm across 480 acres and with varying agreements . We have a 1986 HA tenancy at Gatenby , which means I ’ ve got that for my life , as well as our 60 acres . We also have another 30 acres there on a cutting licence , producing cheap hay for the suckler cows ; up here at The Hutts we have another 70 acres on a cutting licence next door which we picked up in 2013 , that ’ s an annual thing – an informal agreement .
“ We have a really good relationship with all our landlords . The people who own the 70 acres taken on in 2013 don ’ t farm , but they are environmentalists and the fact we are organic farmers plays a big part .
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