Nether Haugh Farm
Young farmers conquer baptism of fire
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ON A TYPICAL COLD AND wet January morning I met up with another inspiring pair of young farmers, Nick and Carys Grayson of Nether Haugh Farm, very close to Wentworth Woodhouse between Barnsley and Rotherham.
The Grayson family has been farming at Nether Haugh since 1929, always following traditional farming practices which remain in place to this day.
Nick’ s passage to the helm of Nether Haugh has been, to say the least, a traumatic baptism of fire. He returned at 23 after four years studying agriculture at Aberystwyth university. After some 18 months Nick felt he was really getting to know the farm inside out.
His father, always fit and active, had being showing signs of slowing down and seemed generally‘ under the weather’ but kept going. Finally, he went for a check-up and received the shattering news he had terminal stomach cancer. Sadly, he only lived a further five and a half weeks.
Nick’ s father had no will and even wrote it from his hospital bed. Such was his grit and resolve he discharged himself and came home to give Nick as much help and guidance as possible to prepare him for the inevitable hand-over, for which Nick is eternally grateful.
Both Nick and his mum felt a great sense of loss and for Nick particularly in running the farm. However, Nick had met Carys at university and she had followed him back to Nether Haugh. Carys has been a great support to Nick helping with the farm, particularly with the accounts side of the business as well as having a full time research and development post herself within the agricultural industry.
There is an old saying:‘ Cometh the hour, cometh the man.’ Nick certainly falls into this category as he said to me:“ I really thought I knew the business until I took over full time.”
His mum and dad took on the farm in 1989 following bankruptcy and a long-standing family feud with his cantankerous grandfather. They started growing linseed which was great for cash flow as prices were very good in the 1990s. They then added wheat and barley – there have always been three crops on the farm and also a constant need for a break crop due to land being on reclaimed open cast. The land does demand a lot of chemicals and the use of tillage rather than the plough.
Back in the day, they were able to use a lot of sewage sludge, sadly not available now. They also had 3,000 laying hens which they kept right up until 2005 by which time profitability was dropping and also his father had a hernia and was unable to get the right sort of help.
They Sold the eggs at markets and farm door whilst having the 3,000 chickens. This stopped when they got rid of the chickens. Nick’ s father started to get bored with just arable and so bought
some calves with the idea of replacing them with meat.
They started with seven calves prior to Nick going to university.
When Nick returned he initially went for a job locally but didn’ t get it so in the interim he went to work with a cousin of his mother’ s to learn butchery, but with his father’ s illness that had to go on hold.
So in 2013 Nick was in charge and if he hadn’ t had enough on his plate the horrendous weather meant his first harvest was a small one, only 40 acres, so it was a case of just treading water, being frugal and really learning the business. Although Cary’ s salary has been helpful with the farm’ s finances. At some point Carys would like to think she can also work on the farm full-time as she enjoys the life and spending time with Nick.
You have to admire Nick’ s resolve and drive. In 2014 he got onto the TESCO Future Farmer Programme, picked from thousands of applicants to be in the top 100 from which they picked the top 50. Then from
those, a special 15 won a place on the extended programme which meant £ 1,000 training budget which Nick spent on a trailer course and test, three two-day business courses and a special industry 121 mentor. This has been invaluable to Nick’ s development.
Now, just over three years later, how are things looking? Pretty good.
Nether Haugh is 200 acres of which 150 acres are arable – wheat, barley and linseed. Rather than spot sell the linseed, Nick now grows it under contract for Premium Crops. The final 50 acres provide straw for the biomass boiler which was installed in 2000, the rest for small bale hay and silage for the cattle.
The hay and straw provide a welcome extra string to the bow selling some 1,000 small bales and 1,500 straw for the local equestrian market and also chicken farmers. Never to miss an opportunity they have developed an excellent side-line hiring out straw bales for seating for all manner of events from gymkhanas to weddings to open days.
54 Spring 2017 www. farmers-mart. co. uk