The Farmers Mart Apr-May 2019 - Issue 62 | Page 58

58 WASS GRANGE FARM APR/MAY 2019 • farmers-mart.co.uk GETTING THE FARM SHOP UNDER WAY AT WASS Chris Berry talks with Annabelle Robinson & Nick Taylor EVERYONE has to start somewhere. Cannon Howells Veterinary Services Ltd. Proud to be associated with Wass Grange and Farm Shop A family owned business which provides flexibility and takes great pride in our services. Contact: Howells Veterinary Services Ltd, York Road, Easingwold, York, YO61 3EB Tel: [phone] Continued commitment to farm animal practice - NO CALL OUT CHARGE to farms within 30 miles of Easingwold; modest mileage charge thereafter. Eleven farm vets work from our purpose built premises. Strong dairy team (7 vets) - routine herd health, fertility and mastitis consultancy, benchmarking, mobility scoring and foot-trimming service. Free attendance at regularly held meetings, focus groups and workshops. Proactive specialised health planning for beef and sheep farmers. Established pig and poultry practice (broilers, layers and game birds) - we service and regularly visit farms from Scotland to Norfolk. Dedicated Farm Dispensary and Farm Supplies Business (free farm delivery service), operating from our newly converted warehouse and retail premises. Five SQPs available to discuss your requirements for worming, disinfectants, fly control etc.—you do not have to be a client to use this service. For sales enquiries or to place an order, phone [phone] or e-mail [email protected] Ask for Pippa Foster (01347 823678), Paul Burton (07713 215363) or Philip Bowes (07483 173849.) What is different about Caisley ™ tags? Tag design Tag material Applicator design Hall, Blacker Hall, Farmer Copley’s, Cedar Barn and Beadlam Grange didn’t suddenly appear as they are today – and fledgling farm shop sector entrants Annabelle Robinson and Nick Taylor have started probably even smaller than most with a potting shed bought for £50 from the website Buy Swap and Sell. Their ambitions are great, but not neces- sarily in the farm shop arena more in ways they can educate and entertain while also carry on what Nick has grown up with at the 340-acre Wass Grange between Ampeforth and Byland Abbey where he is a partner in the family farm with his mum and grandfather. ‘We might get a bigger wooden hut,’ says Annabelle. ‘But we’re not looking at Wass Farm Shop in becoming something fancy like a big glossy affair. We’re selling Specialist dealers in Kawasaki, Suzuki and Quadzilla ATV’s & Mules Proud suppliers to Wass Grange, Annabelle Robinson & Nick Taylor Speak to one of our friendly team today: 01653 692 244 or 01924 840 319 www.wadsworthquads.co.uk eggs, baking, jams and seasonal produce like game as well as rare breed pork, sau- sages, lamb and beef.’ The farming enterprise is largely made up of cattle and sheep all along commer- cial lines with stock destined for livestock markets in Malton and Thirsk. There’s a herd of 60 suckler cows that start as being crossed with Blues out of cows from dairy herds. The Belgian Blue X are then put to the Salers bull to provide replacements, which are then put to the Limousin bull. Nick is now trying hard not to buy in new stock but work with what they have. ‘Our bull calves go as stores to Malton livestock market at 8 months and we keep the good Salers X heifers as replacements with those we decide not to keep going as fat or stores at 18 months to either Malton or Thirsk.’ ‘We have 230 breeding ewes. We’re heading towards a fully Mule flock but at present we have 75 Scottish Blackfaces that go to the Bluefaced Leicester or Bor- der Leicester. Our Mule lambs are crept hard and as soon as they make 40 kios they’re away to Malton and Thirsk. We also usually buy in about 100 Mule gimmer lambs and run them on as shearlings.’ ‘The livestock makes up about 80 per cent of what we do on the farm. Our arable cropping runs to around 50 acres of wheat, oats and beans. It’s not particu- larly clever land but we grow wheat for the pheasants, oats because we can grow them here and beans as they provide for a good break crop for locking in nitrogen. We also have quite a sizeable chunk of woodland.’