Malcolm Allison of Reeth
Fabricators and suppliers of steel framed buildings in kit form and erection
31 Racecourse Road , Gallowfields Trading Estate , Richmond , North Yorkshire , DL10 4SU
Bank Top Mart , Clifton Road , Darlington , Co Durham DL1 5DU Tel : 01325 464529 Fax : 01325 384282
AUCTIONEER , LIVESTOCK AGENTS AND VALUERS
Wishing Malcolm Allison and team continued success ------------ Weekly Sale of Prime Cattle and Sheep Every Thursday Weekly Sales of Store Cattle and Sheep Every Monday ------------- Agricultural , Tax and Compensation Claim Valuations Undertaken ------------
Details Telephone : 01325 464529 Andrew J Armstrong ( Operations Director / Senior Auctioneer ): 07766914075 Email : andrew @ dfam . co . uk Scott Ferrie ( Auctioneer ):
07557 260653 Email : scott @ dfam . co . uk
Tracey Gilhespy ( Field Officer ): 07867974688 Email : tracey @ dfam . co . uk
Stephen Dodsworth ( Field Officer ):
07778737431 Email : stephen @ dfam . co . uk
Agricultural ▪ Industrial ▪ Commercial
Pleased to be associated with Malcolm and we wish him all the best in the future
All CE certified to BS-EN-1090 standard
Contact us today Telephone : 01748 826430 Mobile : 07885 754939 E-mail : carl @ cjtengineering . co . uk
Proud to be associated with Malcolm Allison and his team Tel : 01833 650516 | Email : jstephenson @ swaledale-sheep . com
www . swaledale-sheep . com
Swaledales mothering ability keeps them top
Chris Berry talks with Malcolm Allison in Reeth
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THERE HAS BEEN SO much written about hard-up hill farmers scratching around to make a living in the hills that it appears the publicity it has generated has now almost taken over from the reality . These days those who farm in Wensleydale and Swaledale travel all over the UK , they take foreign holidays and go to rock concerts . The days when the head of the family would expect the son to work for nothing and only give him sixpence every Saturday for a jug of ale are gone . While some tales of woe and struggles to make a living are undeniably true , it ’ s not exactly Hannah Hauxwell territory for many - if any – today ( but do let us know if you know different ).
Malcolm Allison is in a family farming partnership with his brother , Laurence and two nephews , Christopher and Stephen . They have two farms at Seal Houses , Arkengarthdale and Cogden Hall , Grinton where they run a 600-acre enterprise that includes 1200 breeding ewes and 80 cattle . Malcolm lives at Moor Garth in Reeth , between the two farms .
‘ We are able to make a reasonable living from what we do but it isn ’ t a get rich quick scheme by any means ,’ he says . We work hard but life is very different to what it used to be .
We ’ re in the land of computers now and the dog-and-stick days are gone for many . For those who have rented farms it will be tough some years but fortunately we have the benefit of being owner-occupiers .’
Herbert Peacock , Malcolm ’ s grandfather , had moved to Seal Houses from across the valley and it was Malcolm ’ s father , John Allison who married Herbert ’ s daughter from which the partnership J . Allison & Sons was formed that saw the three sons Malcolm , Alan and Laurence farm with their father until John passed away in 1998 . Alan died of a brain tumour in December 2015 . Cogden Hall had been purchased in 1981 .
SWALEDALES ARE THE BEDROCK
Swaledale sheep provide the bedrock to the farm business with 700 pure Swaledales and 500 crossed with the Blue Faced Leicester tup to produce the North of England Mule . A flock of 30 Blue Faced Leicester breeding ewes is also kept for this purpose . Lambing starts from mid-March with the Leicesters and Mules followed by an 10 April start for the Swaledales .
‘ The Swaledale is the main hill breed to breed the North of England Mule and that is the most popular down country
58 Dec / Jan 2017 www . farmers-mart . co . uk