The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2020 - Issue 69 | Page 35

• JUN/JUN 2020
HORNCASTLE FARM 35
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Puma 140/150X
in plastic bags and put in a yard for the
cremation services to collect them. I was
distraught and thought it could be done
with greater grace.’
‘I’d always been put off having my pets
cremated as I felt animals would all be
slung in together. I wanted us to handle
individual cremations so that each animal
was treated with respect and dignity. We
have our own mobile incinerator, we will
collect within 10 miles radius of the farm,
we use eco-friendly body bags we source
from Canada and I feel we offer the dignity
owners would prefer. Owners can then
have the ashes back in an urn or however
they choose and can either take them
home or scatter them in The Wild Wood.’
‘Our pet owners can come to the farm,
if they wish, and we can explain to them
the process. We have a farewell room for
this purpose, but we’ve already found
that most owners prefer their pets to be
collected. We also offer keepsakes such
as urns, nose and paw print certificates.’
This is all a far cry from Richard’s early
memories of being simply a ‘tractor
boy’ growing up looking at magazines or
watching TV and dreaming of one day
farming 1000 acres.
‘I remember the first machine I
wanted was a 4-metre power harrow
and thinking I’d made it when we got
one. Now we have 8-metre and 6-metre
power harrows also. My grandfather Fred
moved here with his wife Isobel from
Kellingley in 1944 when he farmed with
his Clydesdales and Shires. Jonathan and
I have built it up over the years. It has
been a long time since dairy cows were
here. Our father David isn’t involved in
the farm now and our mum Barbara sadly
passed away some years ago.’
‘We began specialising in arable farming
nearly 30 years ago. We are quite well
keyed up with all the latest technology
including GPS on all our tractors. We’re
not 100 per cent farm trafficking just yet
but we use good common sense too. We
are mainly mintill, only using the plough
when we really need to, suing a Simba
Solo, Rexus press, Horsch and a Cousins
subsoiler. We’ve just purchased a new
Case Axial Flow combine with a Canadian
MacDonn header. We’ve gone for that
because although it carries a heck of
a premium it only puts 3 per cent of its
weight on to the ground which means it
feeds in better, allowing for less surging
and better compaction.’
While cattle have not been seen on the
farm for many years Richard and Melanie
bought three calves for their children to
share.
‘They have to look after them and
decide what they want to do when it
comes to either selling or breeding them,’
says Richard. ‘It’s an interest, a way of
learning the value of both livestock and
money and how you have to work for
things.’
Horncastle Farm has many interesting
features and several challenges coming
its way. Its two reservoirs cover 160 acres
with one having fishing rights for a local
angling society and the other is home to
the West Yorkshire Sailing Club. Some of
the scenes from the TV series ‘Swallows &
Amazons’ were filmed there. Other ponds
have been brought about following open
cast mining 14 years ago that have led
to fabulous wildlife with every kind of
wading bird represrnted.
One of their biggest challenges will be
what to do with the farmhouse when the
Going that extra mile for farmers
We pride ourselves on giving sound
business advice as well as a full range
of accountancy and tax services.
Proud to be associated with Richard and Melanie,
and to assist with the establishment of the new pet
memorial service.
For more information call 01977 525552
Unit 7, Courtyard 31, Normanton, West Yorks, WF6 1JU
HS2 project gets underway. It is planned
for it to run right in front of their home.
‘I’ve stayed neutral on the whole thing
so far,’ says Richard. ‘We’ll see what
happens, but we may have to move out
and build another farmhouse. We’ll see.’
Richard and Melanie, who comes from
Rawcliffe, married in 2016 and have 6
children between them, so they have a
lot on their hands one way or another.
However, Melanie has even taken the
time to write a children’s book that
explains about losing a pet.
www.the-wild-wood.co.uk
01924 637376