life
COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
Above: Tony Coward
Striving to keep the Hill Farm
flock at the top
Roz Whistance meets a farmer who has made a virtue of
the self-reliance of his pedigree sheep
“Last week we’re all getting more
prosperous; this week there are world food
riots. Last week crops-for-fuel was the
eco-wonder; this week it’s an eco-disaster.”
So ponders Tony Coward, award-winning
Island sheep farmer. Against the
ever-changing economic situation he
hopes to achieve success. But it is a fine
line to walk.
“It is pointless asking sheep to make
a cup of tea,” says Tony. “But there
is nothing wrong with asking them to
be sheep.” That philosophy led to his
pedigree flock bei ng awarded “Best
Overall Flock” in the southern area by the
Lleyn Sheep Society.
“I say, ‘If you’re hungry I’ll feed you, if
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you’re pregnant I’ll look after you and if
you’ve lambed I’ll look after your lambs.
But otherwise just be sheep.’ The sheep
need to be pretty self-sufficient: his labour
force has reduced but the size of the flock
has had to increase for the farm to remain
viable. “Lambing outside we monitor them
closely, but with no need to pen or feed
the ewes the sheep are doing much of the
work I used to have to do myself.”
Tony is delighted with the award. “There
are about 1500 flocks in the society and
mine was judged one of the best. And
I’d never entered before!” It is a massive
endorsement for a young farmer whose
every decision affects the prosperity of
the farm. He rather hopes farming will
provide a living for his children, Eleanor,
five, and Tom, two.
Quality, rather than quantity, was always
imperative, Tony’s first 20 Lleyn ewes
providing the foundation for the 600 he
has today. It also means he has a flock
well suited to the appropriately-named
Hill Farm. From the top of his 350 acres
in Gatcombe you can see way past the
curvy walls of Carisbrooke Castle to
Southampton, Portsmouth and beyond.
Many of Tony’s lambs will be sold
as breeding sheep for other farmers,
whilst the best will remain to expand the
flock: but keeping the additional sheep
is expensive. “We are keeping a larger
number of sheep with fewer lamb sales to
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