Debbie Kingsley talks to a couple who keep whitebred shorthorns at their farm in cumbria.
John Atkinson and Maria Benjamin live and farm on the stunning southern edge of Coniston Water in Cumbria.
John
John says: “I come from a farming background so I have always farmed from a small child. My family have farmed Nibthwaite Grange Farm for six generations. It was a tenanted farm until 1981 when it came up for sale and my dad managed to get the money together to buy it. He then took on full-time work to pay the mortgage and I took over running the farm at 21 with my brother.
“I was at agricultural college, then worked on a large dairy farm at the same time as running the family farm, so I had gained a lot of experience to bring to our business. I took on a job with the National Trust when the financial demands of a family came into play, working in various roles for the trust, from footpath work to lead ranger for 25 years.
“I left the trust three years ago due to ill health and have thoroughly enjoyed working full-time on the farm. When I took over, it was a traditional mixed farm with dairy, sheep and pigs and was around 60 acres. Over the years I have taken on more and more land and increased the number of livestock we run. We want to farm in such a way that inputs are minimal, so look to traditional native breeds that are hardy and good at living on poor ground. Much of the land we graze isn’t even deemed agricultural land! We want to farm with nature and not against it.”
Maria
Maria is very new to farming, coming from a fine art background. “I got together with John three years ago and now spend almost all of my time on the farm with him. I love working with animals and the planning and development of the farm and the expansion of the business. I think we’re a great combination as I have completely different skills that complement John’s.
This story is from the March 2017 edition of Country Smallholding.
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This story is from the March 2017 edition of Country Smallholding.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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