CHRIS is a farmer through and through - it ’ s a way of life he has enjoyed from childhood . Both his parents and grandparents were farmers at Wigginton . However , this impressive line of Yorkshire farmers began with Chris ’ s great grandfather George Jeffery , who started farming in the 1920 ’ s at Appleton Roebuck . Chris had a fantastic childhood on the farm , being involved in everything day to day with both his father Bill and his Grandfather Bob . It was always Chris ’ s dream to have a farm of his own , which he now has - Spring View Farm near Easingwold is home to Chris ’ s rare breed cows , pigs and sheep . Chris is particularly proud of what he has at Spring View , however , to appreciate why , we need to turn back the clock to understand some of the journey he has been on .

After leaving school , Chris went to Askham Bryan College to learn more of the technical side of farming as well as many of the new innovations coming up at the time . After college , he became a very successful pig unit manager and from then on did several things : milkman ,

insurance adviser , meat humper , as well as getting married three times ! The background and details around this changeable and eventful period are another wholly interesting story .

If we then fast forward to 1997 , Chis was working at Laycock ’ s of Skipton ( now owned by Carrs Billington ) as an animal health sales representative . It was here where he met his current wife Kate . They were both working at Laycock ’ s as a team for some seven years . Chris has always had the desire to have his own business and farm . Whilst at Laycock ’ s Chris became aware that Ray Green Animal health at Northallerton was up for sale following Ray ’ s passing . This had been a very successful one-man business for more than twenty years situated in a very small shop next to Northallerton Auction Mart .

As Chris and Kate had a very good working relationship , Chris asked Kate is she fancied coming in with him if he could buy Ray Green ’ s - she was , most definitely . So , with that , Chris went to see Ray ’ s widow Jackie and agreed a deal and they bought the business .

Thus in 2004 , Green ’ s Farm Supplies Ltd began . Both Chris and Kate worked like Trojans in the next two years building the business up . This was also helped by many Laycock customers following Chris and Kate , testament to the strong relationships they had built up , as we know working relationships within farming are paramount for continued success .

2006 was another milestone year . Green ’ s was going from strength to strength and was doing so well that they had really outgrown the Northallerton site , so they decided to look for bigger premises to relocate to so that they could really grow and develop the business further . So , in September 2006 , they transferred to the brand-new state of the art Rural Business Centre at Thirsk Auction Mart , which had just opened in the August .

At the time , Chris and Kate were both living and commuting locally and again in this milestone year of 2006 another important event , they officially got together and moved in with each other ! Next year , Chris and Kate will have been married for ten years . Would you know it , Chris actually proposed in the middle of the Indian Ocean , there ’ s another story for later .

From 2006 Green ’ s Farm Supplies Ltd really flourished , they still had the shop at Northallerton as well as at Ripon and Malton . They employed fourteen people , also sold livestock equipment , bulk feed and much more . Chris and Kate continued

to manage the whole business between them , that way they knew they could maintain both customer satisfaction and supply the very best of everything .

In early 2018 , they were approached by a larger company who were interested in acquiring Green ’ s . The whole process Chris told me was an arduous process , with accountants and solicitors battling on both sides with scant regard it appeared for either the business or the Jeffreys . So , in October Chris pulled out having learnt much . Should they sell in the future , the process would be radically different Chris assures me .

The whole process did force Chris and Kate to take stock of what they really wanted , immediately and long term and gave them as Chris said to me “ A kick up the arse ”.

So it was time for some tough decisions . They decided to rationalise the business , they had fifteen staff and carried some £ 400,000 in stock . The other shops were closed , they stopped selling equipment , greatly reduced , stock levels and , the most

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