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
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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