The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2014 - Issue 36 | Page 39

HOWE FARM

“Apart from the stock kept
as replacements we more or
less finish the lot. They all go
to Thirsk market as fat lambs
although if we end up
short on grass we will
sell a few earlier
as stores at
Northallerton.
We lamb
through
March and
into April.
We try to
spread it
out a bit
so that we
can cope with
the number
being born and we
also have a couple
of veterinary students at
lambing time,” Mel explained.
Just one cut of grass is made

each year with a small element
of clamp silage and the rest
being round bales of haylage.
The little hay bales are used
particularly at lambing time.
“We grow 20 acres of spring
barley which we sell in order
to get sheep feed in return. It
also gives us chance to swap
the fields around. We sell
the barley to a cattle fattener
and I buy feed from I’Anson in
Masham. Of the other people
we purchase from, I’d like to
make a special mention of
Green Farm Health at Thirsk.
They are always so helpful.”
In addition to the sheep, Mel
also looks after a herd of 20
Salers cows owned by one
of the villagers in Fearby. He
checks on them each day
although he has no commercial
involvement with them.

VINTAGE TRACTORS –
ALSO A FAMILY AFFAIR
Mel’s main pastime away
from his sheep is vintage
tractors. He has quite a few
but it’s still very much a hobby,
as he explains:
“I have always been interested
in them and when I was 21,
my parents did me up a little
grey Fergie that I showed at
Masham Steam Rally. My