Farm North Name End Farm
Maintaining his sweet beet – and contracting
Chris Berry talks with Richard Burniston at Long Marston
Hethertons are proud to be associated with Richard Burniston and we wish him all the success in the future
Call us today ! 01904 528200 www . hethertons . co . uk
Hethertons Solicitors , Tudor Court , Opus Avenue , York Business Park , York , YO26 6RS
Brockhills of Yorkshire Ltd , Dalton Lane , Dalton , Thirsk , North Yorkshire , YO7 3HR
Tel : 01845 577242 Fax : 01845 577122 Email : sales @ brockhills . co . uk Web : www . brockhills . co . uk
»»
SINCE THE CLOSURE OF the York sugar factory , the number of farmers growing sugar beet in Yorkshire has been drastically reduced . It ’ s simple economics that when the nearest factory is now some distance away it doesn ’ t make sense for many to grow it unless they are set up enough to be able to grow a decent supply and can negotiate effectively enough with the buyer .
Richard Burniston of North End Farm in Long Marston farms around 400 acres that runs predominantly on a narrow band going across the top of Marston Moor with other fields in Poppleton and Knapton . It is almost all owned acreage . Richard has long been at the forefront of the sugar beet world growing the crop and at one time harvesting for many others .
‘ We farm here growing winter wheat , winter barley , spring barley , beans and sugar beet . In addition we also work for several farms on whole farm contracts across around 1400-1500 acres . I like growing sugar beet and we have the knowledge , the equipment and the type of land that suits it . Ours goes 72 miles to Newark and I go for the highest yielding varieties I can so that we get our quota of 3000 tonnes out of 100 acres . Stingray is one of the main varieties I grow presently . There are now very few growers left this side of the A64 . We don ’ t very often send any over-quota sugar beet as there is a good stock feed market here . I don ’ t mind growing a few more acres because of this .’
Agricultural contracting has been the mainstay of Richard ’ s business throughout his life and first came about through his grandfather .
‘ at the forefront of the sugar beet world ’
‘ My granddad Arthur set my dad , Richard and my dad ’ s brother , Joe on to agricultural contracting when they were based at Bickerton Grange , which is closer to Wetherby then here . Contracting at that time was primarily threshing . When Joe moved to set up on a farm at the coast in Barmston dad kept the contracting business going . He bought the blacksmith ’ s shop in Long Marston in 1952 and other parcels of land before buying this farm in the 1960s . I moved here with my mum , Madge and dad in 1968 when I was 15 . At that point the farm ran to around 250 acres and had been a mixed operation . Dad passed away in 2004 .
44 Dec / Jan 2017 www . farmers-mart . co . uk