The Farmers Mart Apr-May 2019 - Issue 62 | Page 61

CROFTBANK FARM 61 • APR/MAY 2019 C A Marshall Contracting Hatfield Woodhouse, Doncaster A First Class Full Contracting Service • 160 HP tractor & driver hire • Mower conditioning (using the latest McHale equipment) • Ploughing & pressing • Agricultural Fencing • 16 Ton silage trailer available for hire • Round baling & wrapping • Also supplying quality hay & haylage Proud to be working with Gerrad Farmer For a first class 24/7 service contact Chris on 07957 780164 I couldn’t believe it and had no idea of the gravitas that came with it all.’ ‘We have his progeny now including Croftbank Decadent and we’ve won at Lin- colnshire Show, East of England and West- morland. Our cattle number sits around 120 at present with an even split between the Red Polls and Aberdeen Angus with around 30 cows of each breed. Stock is taken through to around 20-22 months finishing at around 560-600 kilos.’ ‘I like to get them so the sirloin can be a good size for getting 8-10 oz steaks having been hung for between 2-4 weeks. The key is low inputs, feeding on grass and roots, and a good return. My own view is that cattle were not designed to live in sheds. They have leather coats and fur and like to get their heads down eating grass. That means they are stress free, fed no concentrates, have high welfare standards and are content.’ Gerrad and his wife Verita started with Aberdeen Angus after Verita said she liked the breed and Gerrad bought her some for her birthday ten years ago. ‘I’m a townie from Doncaster,’ says Verita. ‘I’d been walking my dog near the Red Polls when Gerrad drove up alongside and asked whether I liked his cows. As chat up lines go it was right up there! We had known of each other at school in our teens after Gerrad had come back from New Zealand where he and his family had emigrated, but when we chatted that day, I didn’t even own a pair of wellies!’ Today Gerrad and Verita have a passion for breeding cattle, sheep and dogs. Verita’s son Joe, both of them were married previously, has Tamworth pigs; Verita breeds gundogs, Labradors under the prefix Verrad Labradors; they have the Red Polls and Aberdeen Angus; and 20 Wiltshire Horn breeding ewes. QUALITY PRE STRESSED CONCRETE PANELS BSEN1509001:2008 GB17850 PRESTRESSED PANELS CAN BE USED FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING: Professional, Focused, Innovative and Affordable Mark Simmonds Planning Services offer professional planning help to companies and individuals. Providing the full range of planning services, cost-effective advice and can work on a fixed fee, or hourly/daily rate. All fees are agreed prior to the commission commencing and adhered to throughout. We will review your planning issue at no cost to you, through an initial free meeting, and only provide you with a fee quote if we know we can help. • • • • • • • • • • • • Site potential appraisals Planning appraisals Project co-ordination & management Development planning advice & representations Planning applications Appeals & local reviews Planning enforcement Lawful development Environmental impact assessment advice Public rights of way advice Planning gain/obligations Community involvement & stakeholder consultation For more information visit marksimmondsplanningservices.co.uk Contact Mark, Angela or Dawn to discuss your requirements Tel: [phone] | Mob: [phone] (Dawn) Email: [email protected] ‘Proud to be associated with Gerrad Farmer and wish him continued success’ Dalziel - Serving the Food Industry · Warehouses · Storage · Soil retention · Security We are pleased to be a long standing supplier of ingredients, meat & packaging to Gerrad & Verita Farmer of Croft Bank Farm farm shop & wish them continued success for the future. Tel: [phone] | 07721 679364 Ken Hetherington Email: [email protected] Promoting product concepts – created for craft butchers www.lowgrangequarryltd.co.uk Dalziel Ltd, Unit F1 Summit Park, Whistler Drive, Castleford WF10 5HX · Agricultural (livestock, grain, roots, silage) Depth 0.500, 0.600, 1m, 1.2m, 1.5m. Thicknesses 100mm,150mm, 180mm, 225mm) 01977 605 590