32 HALL FARM FEB / MAR 2021 • farmers-mart . co . uk
The livestock operation is a mix of cattle and sheep . The suckler herd of 15 cows are Hereford and Hereford X Angus that are out on permanent pasture usually from mid-April until November .
‘ We have a Hereford bull and also use AI ,’ says John . ‘ We calve in February and into March and sell as stores at around 18 months at Thirsk Mart . ‘ The cattle eat hay produced on the farm , silage , rolled barley and protein pellets .’
‘ Our flock runs to 150 breeding ewes with 110 Mules and 40 Suffolks . We use Charollais tups on the Mules and a Suffolk tup for the Suffolks . We started using Charollais tups about seven years ago . Lambing is from April 1 and all of our fat lambs also go to Thirsk Mart .’
John talks of the current situation , post-Brexit and Covid-19 restrictions throughout the world , making life difficult for everyone in planning for anything with any certainty , especially in farming .
‘ If you ’ re careful and keep an eye on your costs and at the markets at all times
‘ Young Farmers has changed me as a person . I know my dad benefitted from the public
speaking training he recieved through the YFC movement and I have too ’
it should be possible to manage . All we can ever do is concentrate on what we do and what we can shape .’
John is the third generation to farm at Hall Farm that his grandfather , also John , took on in 1964 .
‘ My grandfather was a land agent for various estates including Kirklington Estate and when Hall Farm became available he took it on with my father and uncle as a family partnership . As a family we have never lived on the farm . We live in the village just a couple of minutes away by foot . I was born in 1983 . My mum is Ellen .’ John studied for his degree in agricultural land and farm management at Harper Adams . He talks of his placement at Strawson Farming in Nottinghamshire being a real eye opener .
‘ The scale was a bit bigger than at Hall Farm ! It ’ s a farming operation of around 9000 acres . We never go far on the road with tractors at home , but there I was sometimes on the road two hours a day up and down the A1 . I went back there after graduating for more experience and also went on to farm in Staffordshire before returning to North Yorkshire .’
Many will know John for his roles within the Young Farmers Clubs movement , but perhaps surprisingly he hadn ’ t been someone who had come all the way through from being a young member at 10 or in his early teens .
‘ I joined Masham YFC at a comparatively older age than most at 24 after I came back home ,’ says John . ‘ I had never given it much thought in my younger days even though mum and dad had been members of Bedale YFC .’
‘ I ’ d been heavily involved with my local cricket club West Tanfield in the Nidderdale League , which took up and still takes up most of my spare hours . I ’ m probably one of the tallest wicketkeepers in the game at 6ft 4 . If I ’ d known how tall I was going to be when I started I may have become a fast bowler !’
Having taken on various roles at Masham YFC John became chairman of Cledale District and then chairman of