The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2015 - Issue 42 | Page 32

Mainsgill Farm

Overcoming the obstacles
to fulfill the dream
»»As we regularly are
reminded on our travels
for FM, it takes a lot of very
hard work and the ability to
overcome all kinds of obstacles
to make a success - not just
of farming but of farm shops.
Ian Wilkinson headed off the
A1 and along the A66 for a
short distance to meet Andrew
and Maria Henshaw, awardwinning owners and creators
of Mainsgill Farm and Farm
Shop, whose businesses are
testament to that.
As you sweep through the
wide new entrance way off
the A66, you cannot help but
be impressed at the size of
Mainsgill. With the farm on your
right and the large farm shop on
your left, it looks big when you

pull into the car park; but it is
only when you walk through the
front entrance that the sheer
size - and exceptional quality of
the building really strike you.
Mainsgill really is a shining
testament to the dedicated
hard work of husband and
wife team, Andrew and Maria.
Although it wasn’t always like
this: originally, both of them
are from Lancashire; Andrew
comes from a livestock farming
in Burscough and Marias family
are dairy farmers from Pilling,
Poulton Le-Flyde. They met at
Young Farmers. Initially they
started by buying Holstein
calves and keeping them
wherever there was a free barn,
building up to a herd of 100 with
both calvers and milkers and

32 Oct/Nov 2015 www.farmers-mart.co.uk

renting land wherever possible.
Their wish was, however, to be
farmers in their own right and it
was Andrew’s brother-in-law to
be who found Mainsgill Farm,
which was being marketed by
Robin Jessop. At the time it
was a small 57 acre farm with
run-down farm buildings and
single track access. But Andrew
and Maria saw the potential
and took the plunge – in more
ways than one – they married
on the 21 June 1995 after
which Andrew whisked Maria
off on a whirlwind honeymoon
at the Highland Show, before
returning the next day to get
started at Mainsgill!
The farm was initially set up
to fatten pigs (1,200) along with
sheep and cattle (Black and

White Bulls). They were also
breeding dairy replacements.
For two years, they worked
night and day to build the herds.
Then, just as they were getting
on the right track, their hopes
were dashed when the pig
industry collapsed due to the
outbreak of blue ear disease,
virtually wiping out all their pigs.
As young farmers they were
heavily mortgaged and had
suppliers who needed paying.
This could well have crippled
the business but not this highly
motivated and determined
couple whose motto is: “Don’t
say it can’t be done.”
They had to find a way to pay
their debts and just to focus
them even more, their first
baby, Ja