The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2019 - Issue 61

54 CROOME FARM RUSSELL GROUP www.russells.uk.com LEADERS IN AGRICULTURE, CONSTRUCTION AND GROUNDCARE EQUIPMENT WISHING THE CLARK FAMILY AT CROOME FARM EVERY SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE FEB/MAR 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk ought to have pedigree cows and another good friend Neil Kendall of Egton Bridge sold us two in-calf Simmental cows with two bull calves at foot. One of the cows, which had been AI’d, had a bull who we still have now Croome Goliath who is as massive as he sounds.’ ‘We also bought more Simmentals from another fantastic bloke Gerald Towers of Yearby. We’d gone to just buy two or three cows and he had one with a heifer at foot and a weaned calf to an Irish champion, but he also had a bull that he had been disap- pointed nobody had wanted until we ar- rived. We thought Tidkin Ferrari was a right bull, he’s monster huge, so we ended up buying him as well as three cows. We now have 14 pedigree Simmental cows currently calving and by 18 months’ time with new young stock coming into the breeding herd we will have 20-plus. Our aim is to slowly turn the herd totally pedigree.’ ‘We’ve had a suckler herd on the farm before,’ says Keith. ‘Beef cattle and sheep have always been my passion. I used to leave the tractor driving and arable work to Brian, but this is different, and Nick and I are really enjoying the Simmentals.’ ‘The farm is still mainly an arable farm,’ says Nick. ‘Although we have recently add- ed pigs on a B&B basis for Yorkshire Farmers Livestock Marketing having taken advantage of a fold yard, we didn’t use for 150 weaners and put up a pig shed for 300 where we had some old corn bins. My wife Jo came up with a portfolio on each individual shed we have and what we could do and achieve with the space. They come in at 18 kilos and we take them through to finishing. We start pulling out stock at 16 weeks and we are completed on each batch by 20 weeks. We use our own straw and the muck goes on to the fields, so it is a useful system.’ There’s one notable absentee from the Clarks’ cropping at Croome – no wheat. ‘We don’t grow wheat as we have no drying system, but we can nail malting barley. Our winter barley this time is Craft from Talisman across 110 acres that is around 400ft and very flinty with lots of hillsides. We achieved 2.8 tonnes per acre last season. We have switched our spring malting barley variety ’ from Concerto to Laureate this year across 118 acres. All our malting barley goes to Muntons traded through GrainCo and Isaac Poad.’ Other cops include 12 acres of oats for feed, 21 acres of grass for haylage taken in two cuts and fertilised by grazing of the cattle, 36 acres of potatoes that Bannis- ters undertake, plus five acres of summer fallow, 12 acres of game strips and two and a half acres of nectar mix. They have also planted 2000 metres of hedgerows and have bird boxes in the woodland. The farm has one year left to run in the HLS scheme. The rest is all permanent pastures and dale including a national monument field where the old village of Croome once stood. I’ve known Keith and his brother Brian for a number of years and in the past two years I’ve worked closely with them at the Great Yorkshire Show since taking over as sheep commentator in 2017. Keith’s involve- ment with the Great Yorkshire Show started through cattle. ‘I led cattle into the Grand Parade for my old friend Lawrie Hood of Octon Grange in Foxholes,’ says Keith. ‘He always wanted his cattle in the parade whether he had won or not and needed several pairs of hands. I’ve been sheep steward at the show for many years and my ring is the No 1 ring where the Swaledales, Mules and Blue Faced Leices- ters are shown.’ Agricultural and Plant Mechanics Proud supplier to Keith and Nick and wish them all the best for the future. Working in the North & East Yorkshire area and Lifting Limited 01653 698000 as we have no drying system, but we can nail malting barley. Our winter barley this time is Craft from Talisman across 110 acres that is around 400ft and very flinty with lots of hillsides. We achieved 2.8 tonnes per acre last season JWN ADR Engineering BRANCHES THROUGHOUT YORKSHIRE Please contact our Head Office on: ‘ We don’t grow wheat • Onsite Welding and Fabrication • Onsite Hydraulic Hose Repairs • Waste Recycling Repairs and Refurbishments • Steel Erection Call Lee on 07813 110886 or landline 01377 259105 Contracting Limited Groundwork & Agricultural Contracters All Types of Digger Work Foundation Work Concreting & Shed Foundations Contact John on 07968 303135 Proud suppliers to Keith & Nick Clark

The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2019 - Issue 61 | Page 54