The Farmers Mart Jun-Jul 2020 - Issue 69 | Page 36

36 THROSTLE NEST FARM JUN/JUL 2020 • farmers-mart.co.uk
LET’S GET THIS YEAR’S
HARVEST OUT OF THE WAY ASAP
Chris Berry talks with Fraser Hugill of Throstle Nest Farm, Sproxton.
DELIVERING public goods for
public funds is where the
government has mapped out
payments for farms in the future,
but healthy, productive livestock
and arable farm businesses
are still just as important to UK
agriculture.
‘We’re all looking for sound,
sensible government policies
that will support our various
farming sectors,’ says Fraser
Hugill, who has doubts over the
new agriculture bill.
Fraser farms with his partner
Rosy at Throstle Nest Farm,
Sproxton near Helmsley where
they have over 170 acres. They
have use of a further 140 acres
on his father’s land at Great
Broughton and they contract
farm an acreage on a neighbour’s
farm at Sproxton that
brings a combined acreage
to in the region of 350 acres.
He has grass and combinable
crops – and at Throstle Nest
an expanding pedigree Beef
Shorthorn herd with 50 breeding
cows. He’s just signed up with
Morrisons to supply them with
beef on a dedicated scheme
and he’s a member of the
SRUC Premium Cattle Health
Scheme.
On the face of it, it all looks as
though Fraser has his ducks (if
he has any) very much in a row.
He’s had to duck and dive a bit
this year on his cropping due to
the weather, he’s made savings
where he can, he’s changed his
crop establishment to zero till as
part of his ploy towards regenerative
agriculture, looking after
the soil.
He’s embraced stewardship
practices, in line with his
previous interests when he
worked for the North York
Moors National Park, and
he’s diversified his income
through becoming the northern
co-ordinator of the agriculture
and environmental initiative
that goes under the moniker
of Championing the Farmed
Environment (CFE), which is
a unique partnership of agricultural,
environmental and
governmental bodies. Kind of
like the paper clip that holds
them all together.
But Fraser, while being one
of the sunniest personalities in
farming at present, is concerned
that the new agriculture bill does
not protect UK agriculture the
way in which he and the rest
of the farming world hoped it
would.
‘It is very difficult for anyone
in farming to formulate a 5-10
year plan right now and so the
only thing we can all do is to use
what we have at present and
make our business as robust
as possible. I’m not confident
enough to say it is going to be
a bright future. The bill has
created massive uncertainty and
there is a feeling that without
the security farmers wanted
over imports having to meet
our own high standards we will
be exposed to being undercut
by those that have not had
to meet them by their own
governments.’
‘I try to practice what I preach
through my consulting role for
the CFE. One of the definite
areas is ‘public money for
public goods’ and we should
concentrate efforts on where
the money has been promised
through ecological and
environmental management
via stewardship. That will at
least produce an income that
will help – particularly those
with marginal land or severely
disadvantaged land.’
‘CFE is very much a link
between all bodies and is about
promoting good environmental
management through productive
farming practices. We can
all still farm with livestock and
the land but work with the
ways in which we can improve
wildlife, soil, water and air
quality. I hosted a Webinar
Zoom conference on hedgerow
management at the end of June
on behalf of CFE and Rosy and I
are also increasing our meadow
enhancements and now have 20
acres of species rich wildflower
meadows.’
‘We are turning 75 per cent
of our hedgerows into berry
production to enhance the bee
population and provide winter
feed for birds. Last year we had
Fieldfares that stayed very late in
the season because of the greater
feed availability and cover.’
Continued on page 38