The Farmers Mart Oct/Nov 2015 - Issue 42 | Page 49

Mark Smith for Estab ove lish r 40 ed yea rs THE AREA’S PREMIER FARM STORE ESTABLISHED SINCE 1982 DELAVAL MAIN AGENTS EXPERIENCED SERVICE ENGINEERS VAN SALESPEOPLE IN YOUR AREA FREE DELIVERY SERVICE PREMIUM DAIRY HYGIENE PRODUCTS COUNTRY CLOTHING/WORKWEAR QUALITY FEEDS & MILK REPLACERS ANIMAL HEALTH PRODUCTS Specialists in Farm Accounts and Agricultural Taxation Contact Alastair Cromarty or Helen Herd 1-5 Alma Terrace, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 1EJ Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [email protected] TEL: [phone] COARS (NE) LTD, PLEWS WAY, LEEMING BAR INDUSTRIAL ESTATE, NORTHALLERTON, NORTH YORKSHIRE DL7 9UL. We are pleased to be associated with the M and R Smith Partnership and wish them continued success for the future WE ARE PLEASED TO SUPPORT MARK SMITH inside because you are more in control of milk production.” It could all have been so different looking back to the terrible times of 15 years ago, as Mark points out. “When Foot & Mouth disease was all around in 2001 we had the only dairy cows between Grassington Road and almost as far as Settle. If the cows had gone then who knows whether I would have still been here today?” Mark’s sheep flock of 300 Mule ewes are crossed with the Texel tup to produce a commercial fat lamb. He also has a few Jacobs, Zwartbles X and is looking at the Welsh Beulah. “When I bought some Mules a few years ago there was some Beulah in them and I was quite impressed. I like the idea of the Welsh Mule rather than the basic Mule. They give just as good a lamb with maybe a little tighter coating on the fleece. I buy-in all replacements rather than bothering with Mule gimmers. We lamb around mid-March until the end of April.” Mark’s lambs are all sold through Skipton but he is not there when they sell. “I take them in the morning and they sell in the afternoon. That means I can get back he