38 EAST LEYS FARM JUN / JUL 2023 • farmers-mart . co . uk
38 EAST LEYS FARM JUN / JUL 2023 • farmers-mart . co . uk
Cranswicks are proud to be associated with Sharon Shepherdson and all of those associated with the East Leys Farm , Grindale , enterprises .
Cranswicks specialise in a range of agricultural services including :
• Sales of Farms and Land
• Land management
• Compensation and subsidy claims
• Valuations for all purposes
• Leases and Tenancies
• Annual stocktaking valuations
96 Quay Road , Bridlington , East Yorkshire , YO16 4HZ Tel : 01262 672110 | Email : info @ cranswicks . com
“ Is it cheaper for us to have it dried by someone else every now and then rather than fix the dryer ? Maybe it ’ s all down to climate change .
“ We are a week behind Driffield here . We ’ re quite slow and usually the last to finish harvesting . Last year ’ s harvest finish was exceptional and we finished around August 21 , but you never can tell what one year will be like to the next .
Sharon tells of the farm ’ s involvement with stewardship , environmental schemes and wildlife .
“ We planted a three and a half acre woodland about 20 years ago on the Farm Woodland Premium Scheme and we ’ ve had land in Countryside Access , then we did a 10-year Countryside Stewardship Scheme and we ’ re just in the final year of a 10-year Higher Level Environmental Stewardship agreement .
“ With having land at Bempton they are always keen to have environmental options around the bird sanctuary and that gives us a bit more flexibility to have ELS and HLS options at East Leys and Bempton .
“ In the past we ’ ve had conservation headland and we ’ ve had people look and say why isn ’ t that bit growing . We ’ d just say it ’ s because we don ’ t put fertiliser on that bit . The public are amazed at the difference between the whole fields and the headlands , so as a teaching tool it ’ s fantastic .
There are two alternative enterprises on their farming operation , one is a CL Caravan Club site and the other is the
S . T . GOWAN
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY SPECIALISTS base for Skydive GB hence the reference to a runway earlier .
“ The CL Caravan Club site started in the late 70s for extra income . Myself and my husband Robin took it over from my mother in 2019 . It ’ s quite a nice little site that attracts a lot of regulars , but we realised after taking over the site and speaking with them a little more that a lot didn ’ t even realise they were on a working farm , probably because we have very few animals .
“ I find it a useful way of letting people know more about farming because many have no idea of where their food comes from . By chatting you find out how far some are now removed from it . The questions most commonly asked though are how much is the combine ? What about subsidies ?
“ The skydiving has been at Grindale since 1991 and used to be held on a proper airfield on a neighbour ’ s land .
Sharon and Robin have two sons Tom and Simon . Tom has six sheep made up of Suffolk and an Oxford Down and showed at Driffield Show with one last year . Tom is also with the Army Cadets at barracks in Driffield , a Bridlington YFC member and is due to study at Harper Adams from September . Simon is also involved with Bridlington YFC and is with the Middleton East Pony Club .
“ Bridlington & District YFC are doing really well at the moment ,” says Sharon . “ They ’ ve just won Club of the Year in the East Riding Federation for the third year running .
We are proud to be supporting Sharon Shepherdson of East Leys Farm .
WE ARE S . T . GOWAN
An independent family business specialising in the sale , repair & servicing of agricultural machinery .
We stock a wide range of high quality used agricultural vehicles & equipment , alongside spare parts , wheels & tyres , in addition to a selection of second hand gardening machinery .
📞📞01262 850383
✉ info @ stgowan . co . uk
Visit our website stgowan . co . uk
S T Gowan Ltd . The Garage , 51 High Street , Bempton , Bridlington , East Yorkshire YO15 1HB