The Farmers Mart Aug-Sep 2018 - Issue 58 | Page 50

50 CROSBY COURT GRANGE AUG/SEP 2018 • farmers-mart.co.uk Everyone working together is the way forward at Northallerton Chris Berry talks with James Baker of Crosby Court Grange. TEAMWORK plays its part in the success RUSSELL GROUP www.russells.uk.com SUPPLYING McHALE MACHINES, PARTS AND SERVICE TO TOM BAKER AT CROSBY COURT GRANGE FARM Branches throughout Yorkshire Please contact our head office on: 01653 698000 [email protected] of many a family farm and for James Baker of Crosby Court Grange Farm, Northaller- ton it has been important in nearly every aspect of his life particularly his farm partnership with his dad Kevin and gran Sheila; his continuing involvement with the YFC movement at club, Cledale district and county levels; and his rugby career. When I visited James was preparing for the Yorkshire Federation of YFC’s county rally at Thirsk. He’s currently competitions chairman, admittedly over young farmers’ age but always committed to the cause. ‘You’ve never seen such a peculiar load I turn up with at Thirsk Mart using a bale trail- er and loader. It’s a really odd mix of let’s just say unique items and strange things to make obstacle courses. In the last few weeks I’m on and off the phone all the time with the girls in the YFC office organising me and telling me what’s needed.’ ‘The rally is the pinnacle of the YFC year and I’ve competed in everything and anything since I joined as a member at 13 in 2001. I was a real Jack of All trades in rallies competing in everything I could. I made the Northern Area finals for stockjudging and flower arranging – not bad for a rugby player!’ I’m now advisory member for my home club Northallerton YFC. It’s where my mum and dad Anne and Kevin met, and my wife Emma joined so she could definitely get to see me. Funny thing is Emma now has prob- ably more involvement than I do. She even competed in public speaking competitions, something she said she would never do, and qualified for the National semi-finals. She did stockjudging too. I also have two younger sisters who were involved with Northallerton YFC.’ ‘One thing I’ve found with young farmers clubs is it doesn’t matter what age you are, no-one sees the age difference. You’re a group, a team together. There’s never an issue being a younger person with an older group. I joined Northallerton at the end of foot and mouth disease year and the club was really struggling with just 8 members. I’d turn up at meetings thinking maybe I wasn’t going to enjoy it but I’ve learned more through club meetings than I ever thought I would. There’s always something different to learn.’ ‘During my club membership days, we went up to 40 members and we’re cur- rently at a healthy mid-20s right now as we have been for about 5-6 years. The club meets at Northallerton Auction Mart canteen and while some clubs out in the countryside are more wholly farm related Northallerton being a town club attracts a really good mix of town and country members. The club does pretty well in the County Rally and has won the small clubs’ trophy a number of times in recent years.’ Next year will see the 100th anniversary of James’ family having ownership of the 200-acre Crosby Court Grange Farm. It’s a dairy, beef and arable operation with 90-100 acres down to wheat and barley with 90 per cent of the corn fed back to cows, a herd of 80 milking cows that are still predominantly black and whites but with Norwegian Red gradually being introduced, finishing of beef calves and buying in of extra beef calves also to finish. ‘We’ve been here longer than 100 years, but we rented previously,’ says James. ‘My granddad Laurence ran the farm before my dad. It’s dad who does most of the milking now as he enjoys it and my gran looks after the calves. I’m happy to milk and enjoy working with the cows.’ ‘I’ve always worked on the farm from being a boy, but I wasn’t sold on the idea of farming when I was at school and never had any pressure put on me to do so by my par- ents, but I’ve been in partnership with dad and gran for a few years now. Mum works full time with children that have disabilities.’ ‘I studied for a degree in agricultural resource management at Bishop Burton Col- lege, three days a week for three years and had seen myself going down the engineering line, adapting, repairing, fabricating and me- chanic work. I now put that to good use on