FARMER 11June 2009
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EnvironmentTalk
Share-farming
holds benefits
for both parties
Q
uite often a speaker at meetings will be
asked if he or she can give an aspiring
farmer hope that there will a future for
food producers. Sometimes, a young farmer
will ask � for a good reason � why they should
try to farm in their own right.
The answer to the first question is that, of
course, there is a future and an absolute need not
only to produce food in the future, but to increase
production to meet the demand from a rapidly
increasing world population.
The answer to the second question, to my mind
at least, is why would you not want to be a
farmer?
Anyone who has lambed a sheep, calved a cow
or cultivated and harvested a crop cannot fail to
have derived satisfaction from these events and
the many other activities on a farm that are part
and parcel of the farmer's lot.
I do sometimes worry that some aspiring food
producers think opportunities will come along
gift-wrapped. Someone who wants to milk cows,
for example, may not be very excited about the
prospect of being a sheep keeper, but I would
suggest that if you want to get on the farming
ladder then it is better to get a start in some form
or other rather than wait for the ideal oppor-
tunity, which may never come along.
Short of winning the lottery, the young farmer
today cannot expect to buy a farm in the first
instance and we all know that tenant farms are
few and far between. They are keenly sought by
other farmers who can't afford to buy.
It is a frustration to me that we see so little
contract and share-farming, especially where
livestock is concerned.
Contract farming avoids a tenancy and is gen-
erally for one growing season.
For those who think this is pie in the sky, I
would point to my own example. Christine and I
set off as contract farmers with beef and sheep
before moving into dairy when we became ten-
ants.
Share-farming was particularly popular in the
1990s. Someone will provide the labour while the
landowner provides the farm and the two will
share the profits. It is a stepping stone into farm-
ing.
Looking around my local area, there are
numerous dairy farms where milk production
has ceased. While I accept that some units are
no longer fit for purpose, there are some very
good farms with up-to-date facilities. I cannot
believe that some of these units could not be
brought back into production if the right deal
could be struck between the owner and the
young farmer.
There would be many advantages to both par-
ties if it was successful. Yet I have never seen an
advert in the press from young farmers or
landowners looking to share an enterprise.
The opportunities are out there if people are
prepared to take them.
RUSSELL BOWMAN
NFU Cumbria chairman and dairy farmer
organic dream?
p the decline in farmland birds
e believes the profit margin
e will be about the same on
ion litres of organic milk as
on the three million con-
nal litres he used to produce.
aid: "I'm not regretting
g this decision. So far, so
about all you can say.
ve learnt a lot of lessons
y � you don't need fertiliser
w grass. I think we realise
re benefits to farming this
e cows graze better and
there are more natural grass
species coming into fields."
The Soil Association, the nation-
al organic certification body, says
the value of organic food sales
increased by 1.7 per cent last year,
which it says points to an under-
lying resilience in the industry.
But there was a net decline in
the volume of organic sales last
year, according to the association's
annual organic market report.
Kate Gascoyne, of Cumbria
Organics, believes the fall in
organic sales is partly down to
supermarkets taking the products
off their shelves to make way for
cheaper goods.
She said: "One of the issues is
that the supermarkets are not
stocking as much organic at the
moment and that affects trade.
"I would say supermarkets are
dictating the purchasing habits of
their customers."
Eva's Organics at Milton, near
Brampton, was set up by Debbie
and Mike Simpson five years ago.
It sells seasonal, organic fruit
and vegetable boxes direct to 270
local customers. An average �15
box could include lettuce, spinach,
potatoes, carrots, onions, cucum-
bers, tomatoes, leeks, garlic and
fennel. It works out at around
twice the price of conventional
produce in a supermarket.
Mrs Simpson said: "Our num-
bers are declining slowly, but not
to the point where we're anxious.
We're in our fifth year and this is
the first time our numbers have
gone down rather than up."
Customer numbers have fallen
from a peak of around 300 last
year.
She added: "Most people are say-
ing that one or other partner has
been made redundant and they
need to make cutbacks.
"People are still joining but, for
the first time, the joining rate is
slower than the leaving rate.
"I don't think the notion of organ-
ic is under threat because I don't
see any other future for farming."
Lowther Park Farms near Pen-
rith has already partially aban-
doned its organic dream. Its flock
of organic chickens switched to
free range on April 1 because the
high cost of feed would have forced
significant price hikes. The price
of a 1.7kg bird would have risen to
around �15.
For now, its beef and sheep live-
stock will remain organic, but
managers are keeping a close
watch on the market.
Nick Utting, Carlisle's NFU
group secretary, said: "The sector
has gone through peaks and
troughs over the years just as the
conventional sector has.
"Now, we're in a financial crisis.
At times like this, people are just
not prepared to pay that premium.
"There is no indication as to
which way it's going to go in the
months ahead. The future of
organic farming is in doubt.
"It's very much dependant on
how many producers are prepared
to continue."
inctive call. The UK pop-
of lapwing has fallen by 40
t since the 1970s, but in
ia this figure is nearer 60
t.
e are a number of simple
es farmers can take to pro-
sts during silage-making,
ing and spreading fertiliser.
armer recently visited by
walks the field before cut-
d marks the nests with
o these can then be avoid-
her farmer, who spotted a
g nest when ploughing,
the nest, ploughed and then
replaced it, causing minimal dis-
turbance. The chicks hatched suc-
cessfully.
Another way to help is to leave
at least one field on the farm with
a late cutting date � such as mid-
July. Alternatively, adopt a
wildlife-friendly mowing system,
cutting the field from the middle
outwards to give both mammals
and unfledged chicks the chance
to escape.
With the adoption of one or
more of these management
options, farmers can help to halt
the decline in farmland birds �
and possibly even boost numbers.
pearing and many supermarkets cutting
he end of the line for non-conventional
talks to producers and others in the know
STEWART BLAIR
Sticking with it: Clockwise from top, Mark Shadwick with his organic dairy herd;
Kate Gascoyne, of Cumbria Organics; and Dianne Horn, of Slack House Farm
Rare: Traditional
hay meadows are
disappearing as
farmers prefer to
cut silage

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