I had such a great time visiting Sophie and her Hampshire Down flock, I took so many photos! I had lots to look through an pick out. As a breed the Hampshire Down's are very distinctive looking with a strong presence. They are a large native breed of sheep, with big fleeces and striking facial markings, they have bold black noses and ears. To me they almost resemble teddy bears. I was really looking forward to drawing from Sophie's sheep as I felt they had such character and personality when I met them! Poweranger, Sophie's Ram and a couple of ram lambs. Sophie taking her ewes out to the field. Hampshire Down's have very distinctive facial markings. My pencil drawing of one of Sophie's Hampshire Down ewe's. Here is the final print of Sophie's ewe which I created using hand stamps, I never really talk but about my design process. It is really very simple... I create stamps from the basic shapes within my pencil drawings. It is all about simplifying and breaking down the drawing into the most distinctive characteristics of the subject I am working on. It may be surprising but my stamps are just made out of cardboard, as I found this the easiest material to cut more detail into. It is all recycled so costs nothing but it does mean it isn't reusable so you can usually only get a few prints out of it. I am really pleased with how the print has turned out and I think it will prove a very popular design. The texture which is created through the stamp really emulates the full, fluffy fleece of the Hampshire Down! I would like to say a BIG thank you to Sophie and her family for taking the time to show me their Middlewood flock of Hampshire Down sheep. If you would like to find out more about Sophie and her sheep then please follow them on Instagram @middlewoodhampshire.
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Last week I went to visit Sophie and her Middlewood flock of Hampshire Down sheep. I was especially looking forward to this blog because Sophie had arranged it so that I could visit on the day that she was scanning her ewes. I have never actually seen a ewe being scanned for lambs (lots and lots of cows, yes, but never sheep!) so it was a learning experience for me too. I absolutely loved it and it was also an opportunity to witness first hand, Sophie working closely with her sheep. It was a fantastic morning and much as I expected, a family team effort, with Fiancé, Matthew and daughter, Harriet on hand to help out. They were making sure the ewes were in the right place for scanner, Ben. I have known Sophie for many years and I am really excited to share her story as she begins to rebuild and grow her flock of Middlewood Hampshire Downs. Sophie is one of the most passionate people you could meet and it was a pleasure to spend the morning watching her work. Sophie taking her ewes back to their field after being scanned. How long have you been involved in farming? I’ve been around farming since I was a little girl but working in the farming sector since 2009. What first attracted you to industry? I’ve always had a great love of the outdoors from a very young age. I had ponies from the age of 2 so I was always outside. When I was younger we lived on a farm in Kettlestone where my dad was a farm mechanic. I have many pictures of me bottle feeding lambs or riding in a tractor. I went to agricultural college to study horses at school leaving age. As time went on life changed and so did adult responsibility. I sold my horse and my father bought me two dairy calves for my 21st birthday which I reared and then sold on. I also started working on a straw based pig finishing unit where we finished just under 2000 pigs on a high welfare system. We also reared calves on contract which I loved. This is where the love of sheep also started; I stared helping a brother and sister team with their Border Leicester sheep with lambing, at shows and so on. This then started me looking into other breeds, the Hampshire Downs caught my eye with their fluffy heads and velvet black nose, they were a winner for me. With easy lambing and they finish off grass, so I invested in 3 beautiful ewe lambs and the rest is history. I lambed them in my garage so I could hear them out of the bedroom window (I do have pictures for evidence ha-ha!). Sophie with one of her Hampshire Down ewes. How do you find being a young women involved in agriculture? I’m not going to lie I do find it tough. I find it very lonely sometimes especially winter with shorter days. Being mostly male dominated you have to gain the respect and prove you can do as good a job as them. Men are known for their banter so you have got to have a strong back bone and brush it off or if you’re like me just give it back to them tenfold! I’m lucky enough to have worked alongside some fantastic farmers that have been flexible with working, as having two young children under 5 has it challenges. I’m quite an emotional person so I always cry if I lose a lamb or calf. I find nowadays there are more women in the farming sector as they have a more maternal side when it comes to livestock. I think our qualities as women In agriculture actually helps the tough males open up about problems (well slightly). Being a mum in agriculture has some very rewarding moments and some not so, but if you can juggle husband, boyfriend, partner, children and grab some you time you’re on to a winner. My fiancé and I work with each other all the time a we are one hell of a team when we are together yes we argue but we come as package and I’m very lucky. Sophie and her three year old daughter, Harriet, who adores the sheep and clearly shares the same passion for Hampshire Downs as her Mother. How long have you had your Hampshire Down flock? I’ve had my current Hampshire’s since July 2018 so just over a year, which was gifted to me from a very good friend. I’ve been involved in Hampshire’s since 2010 when I purchased my first 3 ewe lambs. Sadly I lost my last original hamp ewe in august of this year. What first attracted you to the Hampshire Down breed? It was their presence, with their velvet black ears and noses and wooly heads, they have a stubborn characteristics which I actually really like, it gives something about them. They lamb with ease and they are quick to get up and suckle. They are very hardy. They don’t need any supplementary apart from laming time. They have ad lib hay all winter when grass is in short supply. Just an all round great sheep. What is the history of the breed ? The Hampshire breed was started about 150 years ago. The Hampshire Down was born from the cross of three different breeds, Wiltshire Horn, Berkshire knot and the Southdown. Over the last 50 year the Hampshire has been developed as a terminal sire The ewe's waiting patiently to be scanned. How many Hampshire’s do you have in your flock? We currently have 11 breeding ewes, 2 breeding rams, 1 ram lamb and 1 ewe lamb. What future plans do you have for your flock? Over the next 3-5 years we would like to build up to 100 breeding ewes. Keeping hopefully all ewe lambs as breeding females, either to go to the showing flock or to the pedigree commercial flock. The showing flock will be made up of the best I can produce to sell on to other breeders. These will all be kept MV Accredited. We will hope fully build up our lamb boxes with our pedigree Hampshire lamb. As a native breed, are they still suited today commercial market? Yes. The commercial market is changing. Farmers seem to want lower input but still get output from the lambs. This is where the Hampshire Down as a breed comes into its own. It’s a terminal sire which means it’s a ram that provides the genetics to optimise lamb growth, convert feed efficiency and lamb carcass quality. Cross bred lambs finish of mother’s milk and grass from 14 weeks of age. The Hampshire cross lambs and pure lambs are quick to get up and suckle moments from being born. Strong, hardy lambs which gives them the best start. We start lambing in December so the weather is not always the best and they cope so well in the hardest of conditions. The ewe's running out to grass. What advice do you have for someone wanting to become involved with farming and sheep in particular? My advice would be think about what aspect interests you and go with that. Don’t just go into anything because if you’re not dedicated you will most likely fail (been there and learnt the hard way!) I chose sheep because I’m passionate about my breeding and genetics. Producing a ram that will go on to produce cracking fat lambs for the commercial farmer or producing high quality show stock (early stages on both but that’s the plan) you must have the drive to want to be up at all hours. Endure the wonderful weather we have here on the British isle. Be willing to learn and adapted to different systems. Drive and stubbornness not to give up is one thing, I’ve learnt more over the past 5 years as things don’t always go to plan and things change. Always talk to an experienced shepherd or shepherdess to gain as much knowledge as you can, you may not like everything you come across but experience is a wonderful thing. But most of all love, love, love what you do as farming can be so rewarding. These are a few of the pictures that I took while Ben, the scanner was in action. Sophie, Matthew and Harriet waiting tentatively for the results. It was so interesting to watch and it was very exciting as Sophie is expecting 16 lambs from December onwards. I would like to say a BIG thank you to Sophie and her family for introducing me to their Middlewood flock of Hampshire Down sheep. I spent a fantastic morning with them all and if you would like to find out more then follow them on Instagram @middlewoodhampshire.
Last week I took a short trip over to Great Snoring to meet 22 yr old, Meg Atkins and her flock of Blue Texels. I have never come across this breed of sheep so I was really looking forward to learning more about them and why Meg had chose them to begin with. How long have you been interested in sheep and how did you get interested in them? Cattle have always been my passion, but have always had a small interest in sheep which escalated when I first bought my Blue Texels in 2016. I was selling stores in Newark market when there was a pedigree sheep sale the same day, some smart blue ewe lambs caught my eye, I ended up buying my first 3 foundation females for my flock. Why did you choose Blue Texels? I have always liked them as a breed because they are small and shapey, so are easy for me to manage and handle them on my own. As well as there sassy attitudes they are a great terminal breed, that grow and grade well. How many blue texels do you have? 4 ewes; 3 foundation ewes,1 purchased for different bloodlines ,5 shearling ewes; 4 homebred, one purchased (champion ewe lamb last year) , 2 rams and 6 lambs. Where does the Blue Texel originate from? The Blue Texel originates from a very exposed texel island and holland. What makes a good Blue Texel? A good blue texel has a dark head with a distinctive white halter mark, they are medium sized well muscled sheep. The ideal colour is a dark bluey colour with grey markings. What makes them good for today’s market? Blue texels are good for today's market because they are fast growing, and have a good carcase to finish, there progeny are easily lambed and light boned. What plans do you have for your flock in the near future? This year I only had 2 pedigree ewe lambs born and they will be retained as breeding females in the flock. I want to build my flock up to 20 head, and focus on breeding quality stock for pedigree sales. I also have two MV accredited ewe lambs in the flock which I fostered onto a ewe, these will be used as embryo recips in the coming years, introducing more advanced bloodlines into the flock. Meg with one of her fostered ewe lambs which she plans to use as embryo recips. Do you see your flock expanding? My future flock plans are to expand to no more than 30 head, and concentrate on breeding quality females to sell in society sales. Any ram lambs are going to be castrated and I am going to market the meat to local pubs. I want to focus purely on breeding females for the time being. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in getting sheep? My advice for anyone going in to sheep is to research the breed suited for grazing and management system in place. Also think of the end target market, and what you are aiming for to breed and sell. I had a great time meeting Meg and her sheep, having not come across them before I was quite taken with them. Having mostly drawn from lighter coloured sheep, it was great to find some a little darker and with so much character. The Blue Texels are extremely distinctive looking, especially the tups, they all have dark blue/black faces with white speckled markings and piercing eyes. The tups are almost quite peculiar looking with their extreme foreheads and goggly eyes, they made me laugh initially. Megs two tups, play fighting. One of Megs tups, they have very distinctive features! One of the Blue Texel ewes, still distinctive with a lot of character but with more feminity. My pencil drawing of a Blue Texel ewe. My hand stamped print of a Blue Texel, creating shapes and stamps from my original pencil drawing. I really enjoyed creating this print, as it is quite different from any of the other breeds I have drawn previously. This is mainly because of their colour, they are so much darker with sometimes can make it a bit more difficult to show the characteristics of a particular breed. However I think that the contrast between the black and white within the Blue Texel face means you can still distinguish the breed characteristics within my print. I would like to say a BIG thank you to Meg for taking the time to introduce me to her flock and answer my many questions. I wish her all the luck in the future as she has so many great ideas of how she would like to expand her stock, both her sheep and cattle!
After my visit to meet James and his Murray Greys last week, I spent the next few days going through all the photos that I had taken. James's Fenland herd are extremely photogenic, they didn't seem to mind my presence at all and were extremely docile. Having never come across the breed before, I am now really taken with them. I particularly love the varying tones of grey that they come in, they look very elegant and sleek with the back drop of the green grass. There are so many different shades and tones within the coats of the Murray Greys, in some lights they almost look dappled. I really liked their delicate feminine features, as with my style of simple printing having distinctive features always works better for the final outcome. This photo only shows a small example of the variations in colours and tones of the Murray Greys, I was finding it hard to decide which tone of grey to choose for my print. In the end I have decided to I like the light grey the best, especially on the cows it is very feminine and pretty. My original pencil drawing of a Murray Grey cow. My final hand stamped print of a Murray Grey cow. I would like to say another BIG thank you to James for taking the time to introduce me to his Fenland herd of Murray Greys and for sharing his story! If you you would like to find out more about the Murray Grey breed please do take a look at their website > www.murray-grey.co.uk.
This week I took a trip to Lakenheath in Suffolk to meet James and his herd of Murray Grey cattle. Until last month, I have to admit that I had never come across the Murray Grey as a breed, however I was lucky enough to meet James at the Royal Norfolk Show. We were next to each other in the cattle lines and ended up competing against each other as well! James also kindly gave me one of the Murray Grey society booklets so that I could learn a little more about the breed before I did this blog. I was really excited to meet James's whole herd and find out a little bit more about his reasons for choosing the breed. James's with his oldest cow, Emily. What first attracted you to Murray Grey Cattle? I first came across Murray Greys purely by accident. I was about 11 years old and had been plaguing my parents for ages to let me have a dog, when Dad finally relented and gave me the choice of either having a dog, or having a couple of cattle to graze a small paddock we had near the house. Of course, I chose to have the cattle and a farmer friend of Dad’s went off to Bury St Edmunds cattle market and came back with two Murray Grey heifers. I hadn’t even heard of the breed at that time, but as soon as they arrived I fell in love with them and their lovely quiet nature. And that was how it all started – the rest is history. I’ve loved the breed ever since. What is the history of the breed? Murray Greys originated in Australia – in the Murray Valley around 1905. They were a cross between two British native breeds, an Aberdeen Angus crossed with a roan Shorthorn. So they are actually imported cattle of native British origin. The Australian Murray Grey Society was formed in the early 1960s, and the first cattle were imported into Britain in the early 1970s. Murray Greys are not a rare breed but you don’t see many around, where are they most popular? Sadly there aren’t as many herds in East Anglia as there used to be, most of the larger herds are in the west country and Wales. I’m confident with the focus now turning more towards grass-fed, low-cost beef production that the breed will increase in popularity once again. They are still incredibly popular in Australia, New Zealand, the US and Canada. In Australia, Murray Greys continually dominate beef taste test competitions and over the past decade, Murray Grey steers and carcases have won every major commercial competition in Australia. The Murray Grey originated in Australia. How long have you kept Murray Greys and how many do you have? I got my first two Murrays back in 1986, but I started my current herd (Fenland Murray Greys) about 9 years ago when I bought a really nice two year old heifer from Lin Roberts who owned Troytown Murray Greys. Sadly Lin died last year, but half of my herd is from her breeding lines, so I’ll always be grateful to her. I’ve also had a lot of help and support over the years from a local friend and neighbour, Granger Harrison. I now have a herd of 19 cattle. How large would you like to grow your herd? I can’t really increase my herd much more than what I have now. I have about 14 acres of grass, so I do have to limit the number I can keep (especially if we get another dry summer like last year). A few of James's 2019 calves, Murray Greys can vary in colour from a silver grey to a darker, dun grey. The youngest calf of 2019. Murray Greys make excellent mothers, they are milky cows and calve easily. Have you always been involved with cattle and farming? I’ve always had a keen interest in farming and livestock since childhood. My grandfather and father both farmed a small acreage, so I think it’s in my blood. My herd is only a hobby though, I work full time for the Department for Education in Cambridge during the week, so the cattle are my evening and weekend job. Murray Grey’s are beef cattle; do you sell your beef locally? I have sold a few steers to Anglia Quality Meats, but I’ve kept all of the females which have gone into the herd, and I’ve also sold a few bulls locally as stock bulls. We met at the Norfolk Show this year competing against each other, why is it important to you to show your cattle? I usually do about three shows a year - the Royal Three Counties in Malvern (which is the Murray Grey National Show); the Royal Berkshire in Newbury; and the Royal Norfolk. I think it’s important to get the breed seen in the show rings and to remind people how good the breed has become. It’s also great fun to show and can get quite addictive – not to mention the social side of the shows. The Murray Grey produce high quality beef, which is well marbled and can be finished off grass. Do you have any advice for someone interested in getting into Murray Grey’s? I would say go for it! The Murrays are a real pleasure to keep. They have a lovely docile temperament, they are easy calving, they finish well on grass and do well on rough grazing, they’re naturally polled, and produce some great well- marbled beef. Whether you have a smallholding or a large farm, I think the breed has a lot to offer. The British Murray Grey Society website is: www.murray-grey.co.uk These two cows are called are called, Cola and Candy, they are 'best friends' and I really enjoyed watching them and just observing their interactions between each other! I would like to say a BIG thank you to James who kindly took the time to introduce me to his Fenland herd of Murray Greys. I know how busy James is working full time and looking after his cattle, so I was very appreciative of his time. I have been really taken by the Murray Greys having not heard of them until a few weeks ago! As well as being large fleshy cattle with a lot of presence, they also have fantastic temperaments and were completely unfazed by me in their field. I have really enjoyed learning about a completely new breed and if you would like to learn more please take a look at the Murray Grey website >>> www.murray-grey.co.uk.
After such a brilliant and inspirational visit to 'The Calf at Foot Dairy' I began going through all the photos that I had taken. (I took over 400 photos, it was a lot to work through!) I couldn't help but just continue to take photos of these gentle and serene cows. They have to be some of the easiest animals I have photographed, I think partly as they are so well handled they did not feel threatened by my presence in the yard or feel that I was invading their personal space. They didn't run away or fret when I was kneeling down or approaching them as they nursed their calves, sometimes it felt as though they were posing for me! Jersey cows are so pretty and 'dainty', they have such an elegant and graceful presence which you just sense when you are around them. With their delicate features and distinctive facial markings they have such a strong sense of character. Not one cow looks the same, every cow has its own individual and unique characteristics and markings. As you can see from these three pictures the colours and marking can vary so much from cow to cow. This is my pencil sketch of one of the Jersey cows. This is the hand stamped print I created, using the shapes within my pencil drawings to create the stamps and then referring back to my photographs for the colours. I am really pleased with the print, as I feel it translates the personality and character of the Jersey cow. I think her eyes show the kindness of this docile breed, and the soft textural nature of the print suits their gentle nature. I would like to say another HUGE thank you to Fiona, Zoe, Amy and their wonderful volunteers who made me feel so welcome and for sharing their story with me. If you want to find out more about The Calf at Foot Dairy please take a look at their website www.the-calf-at-foot-dairy.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @thecalfatfootdairy. They give fantastic daily updates on the day to day running of the farm!
Last week I had a fantastic trip over to Somerleyton in Suffolk to visit the extraordinary 'Calf at Foot Dairy'. I have been following this idyllic micro dairy on Instagram for a while now and I was so excited when the owner, Fiona Provan, said I could pop over and write a blog. The ethos behind the 'Calf at Foot Dairy' is based upon the well-being of the cows, being calf-friendly and cow-kind which is summed up by their strap line; 'You can taste the kindness'. I was absolutely fascinated to see their day in action as they do everything from start to finish here, from milking the cows in the morning to bottling up the raw milk ready for customers in the afternoon! 'Calf at Foot Dairy' was started in 2012 by the very passionate and inspiring Fiona Proven, who now has her 'Dairy Angels', Zoe and Amy running day to day life on the farm. As well as her 'Dairy Angels' Fiona has a constant string of volunteers and work experience students who share the same passion for cow welfare, the environment and for raw milk! As the 'label' says 'Calf at Foot Dairy', this micro dairy is unlike the stereo typical 'mega dairy' as all the cows get to keep their calves, with Zoe and Amy only taking half of the cows milk once a day, in the morning, leaving the rest of the milk for the calf. Watching the milking was so interesting for me, seeing each cow jump up to their name. They are milked one by one to make sure extreme cleanliness is kept at all times. Then they are let straight back out into the yard and reunited with their calves, they have no anxiety about leaving their calves as they know they will be there waiting for them. Having beef cattle myself, we always keep our calves on our cows so I understand the strong bond a cow builds with her calf. It really was so special to see the attention they give their calves on their return and then one by one all the calves take their turn for breakfast off their Mum. A cow grooming her calf after being milked in the micro parlour. The cows relaxing in the sun after being milked, in the afternoon they are then walked down to graze on the marshes. One cow sheltering from the morning sun. When did you first come up with the idea of the ‘Calf at Foot Dairy’? It was something I’ve always wanted to do, but The Calf at Foot Dairy seed germinated in 2009 What breed of cow do you use for your milk production, and what made you choose this particular breed? The herd is mostly made up of Jersey cows, but we have crossed a few Red Polls in for robustness, helping to cut down on inputs. I chose the Jersey breed because my father recommended them when I bought my first house cow for my young family. The reason being, Jersey cows are quiet and small but with a big personality. They are easy to handle, very affectionate, easy calving and they weren’t so high yielding then and the milk is delicious and very creamy. How many milking cows do you have? We have around 18 milking cows but are only milking 14 a day due to some cows nursing their calves exclusively. We do not take milk if the calf needs it. As well as pure Jersey cows, Fiona also has a hand full of Jersey x Red Poll cows to just 'beef' them out a little bit. What does the average day consist of on your farm? In the warmer months we gather the cows from the marsh at sunrise (too flipping early), then it’s up the lane ready for milking. The cows are milked just once a day and one at a time, coming into the parlour when their name is called. After milking, the parlour is washed down and the milking machine is cleansed by mid-morning. All the milk is bottled and cooled, the washing up is done and the bottling shed is cleaned down. We muck out all the sheds and yards/lounging areas and straw/bed up with pitch forks and barrow. At around lunchtime we pack up the milk into delivery boxes ready for the collection driver/courier in the afternoon. Sometime in the afternoon/ when the cows decide they are ready, we walk them back down to their grazing marshes for the night. We return to the yard to finish off any mucking out, filling feeders, checking water troughs etc for the morning. The self-service customer fridges are restocked. Office work has to be squeezed in and around the farming chores taking up about 4hrs per day. During the winter months the cows stay on the yard and the extra work is more mucking out and more feeders need filling (hay/haylage) The idea behind your whole business is the health, happiness and welfare of the cows; how does your milk yields compare to ‘normal’ dairy farming? Yield is not a priority to us so we don’t compare (but much less if we did, we probably get a third of the milk in comparison) Each cow is milked one by one in the micro parlour, with each cow being thoroughly cleaned and the surrounding area to make sure that everything is as clean as possible which is extremely important when you are supplying raw milk! This is Zoe one of the 'Dairy Angels' in action. Why do you feel it is so important for the cows to keep their calves until weaning? To make a cow have a calf to produce milk exclusively for us is going against nature and is one of the most extreme forms of animal exploitation. This is the whole essence of why I started the dairy; if you look on the website you will see the reasons. A cow feeding and grooming her calf after being milked in the micro dairy. You sell your raw milk directly from the farm, which is the lowest food miles possible! Do you have any other outlets for your raw milk? Yes, as well as our 24/7 self-service farm gate shop, we also have an online national delivery service. So we can send milk all over the UK for next day delivery! Here is Amy, one of the 'Dairy Angels' seperating the mornings fresh milk, making milk and cream. Once seperated the milk and cream is bottled up, left to cool and then sold from the farm or sent off by a next day courier all over the UK. There aren't many shops you can go to where you can see the product being created, customers are in fact encouraged to come and buy straight from the farm. I witnessed one customer purchasing milk early in the morning whilst Zoe was milking. You don't get a better shopping experience than that! What obstacles have you come up along the way with your business? Being told it’s a ridiculous idea to keep the calves with the cows. Misogyny, finding money/land/farm, bad landlords, no locals doing things differently so advice and understanding is hard to come by as it’s all conventional thinking. Where do you plan to take your business next? To use more regenerative holistic farming methods. As well as cutting down on inputs and plastic use. Jersey steers enjoying the sunshine, these are finished off on grass and sold at the small farm shop for beef. You are a first generation farmer; do you have any advice to someone looking to get into farming that is not from a farming background? To make sure you are 100% committed because you will fail if you have any other hopes/dreams/aspirations as livestock farming is a hard and relentless slog and if you have another calling you ain’t gonna last. However if you know this is your calling then don’t ever let anyone convince you that you can’t do it, follow your dreams. Surround yourself with support from positive people who believe in you and your dream. Don’t be put off by other people and remember when/if they laugh it’s either because they do not understand or they feel threatened. Focus and specialise on the one thing that grabs you the most, put everything into that and only once you have perfected that, then think about introducing the other things that will compliment it. So for me the one thing that I really ever wanted to do was high welfare dairying. I loved and wanted to do so many other things but I have learnt over the years that by spreading myself too thinly I can’t be effective at anything. The other thing that grabs me is regenerative agriculture and holistic grazing methods, and only now after 7 years of becoming a registered dairy business I can think about implementing these to compliment my dairy and restore, soils, and the ecology in the environment I work. Also make sure you have the right animal and system for your environment and use social media well, to sell your story and your product. 'Dairy Angel' - Zoe 'Dairy Angel' - Amy Founder - Fiona I took home a bottle of their AMAZING raw milk which has been thoroughly enjoyed by me and my family! I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Fiona, Zoe, Amy and their wonderful volunteers who made me feel so welcome and for sharing their story with me. I came away feeling completely inspired and in awe of the amazing work that they all do, with such passion, knowledge and enthusiasm. I just hope I have managed to portray their incredible hard work and compassion for the animals they work with through this blog. If you want to find out more about The Calf at Foot Dairy please take a look at their website www.the-calf-at-foot-dairy.co.uk or follow them on Instagram @thecalfatfootdairy. I had such a fantastic visit to the Pointer Farm, I don't think I have ever taken so many photos in one day. I focused on the majestic English Longhorn cattle, but Jamie did kindly introduce me to all the different breeds which are also at the Pointer Farm. I came back to the studio with so much inspiration! It was fantastic, as well as the Longhorns, I have drawn from three of the different breeds of sheep and the Middle White pigs. The Longhorns do not have to have symmetrical horns, and no two cows have the same horns. They come in quite literally any shape and size, going in any direction they fancy! This meant it was really hard to choose which cow to draw from, but I decided on this cow as she just caught my eye. I loved her delicate mottled markings and her horns are beautiful. My pencil sketch of the Longhorn cow. This is my final print of the Longhorn cow, I am really pleased with the outcome. The Longhorn is so very distinctive and they have so much character and I think that this has translated through the print. As I said before Jamie works with 5 different breeds of sheep at the Pointer Farm and I have drawn from three! It was hard to choose! The Valais Blackness Sheep - these have been recently sheared and are usually REALLY fluffy. I can't wait to draw them when their fleeces have grown back! Sketch and print of Exmoor Horn Ewe. My new favourite sheep - the Greyface Dartmoor, I loved drawing this ewe, she had the most amazing curly fleece. Finally... The Middle White Pig! I would like to say another BIG thank you to Jamie, for taking the time to show we around the amazing Pointer farm. I have really enjoyed putting this blog together and drawing so many different breeds. I certainly learnt a lot and gathered so much inspiration that I can't wait to use on products in the future. If you would like to learn more about Pointer Pedigrees take a look at their website > www.pointerpedigrees.com and follow them on Instagram > @pointerpedigrees.
Last week I travelled to Wotton in Buckinghamshire, to meet Jamie Brewer the head stockman at Pointer Pedigrees. Pointer Pedigrees is home to cattle, sheep and pigs (including many different breeds). However, in this blog I have mainly focused on the majestic Longhorn Cattle which were originally established in 2006 on the farm. I had a great morning meeting all the various residents of the farm and was especially lucky with the weather! The Longhorns are such an iconic native breed and it was great to catch up with Jamie and hear about the progression of the breed over the years. How long have you been working with Longhorn Cattle? I moved to Buckinghamshire in 2013, I was drawn to David’s (my boss) enthusiasm so I knew it was the right decision for me to come and work with a breed I hadn’t worked with before It was a challenge to get to the top. It was also a great opportunity for me to shine, with the backing and support to get where we wanted to with the breed. Where do the Longhorn originate from and what is their history? History is being made by me!... The Longhorns are beef cattle that originate from Craven, in the North of England. The breed was initially used as a draught animal, which its body is well suited for; the milk was also collected for butter and cheese because of its high butterfat content. The notable long, curved horns that serve to distinguish this breed from others can make an individual appear aggressive, although by temperament they are usually friendly. What would you say the most attractive attributes of the Longhorn’s are? People seem to see a lot of negatives to the Longhorns, the horns are probably one of the first things to put people off. People need extra space because of the horns and they carry the negative stigma of many native breeds of being slow finishing. However, with the improvements within the breed this is no longer the case, if farmed correctly. There is such improvement in the breed now people look past the horns and see a good suckler cow. They have a strong maternal instinct, easy calving, high milk yield; they flesh out well with the right food. They will finish on grass (turning grass into flesh) better than a continental, and finishing quicker than most native breeds. Higher profit margins within a beast, with not as much supplement feeding. How many Longhorn’s do you now have in the Pointer herd? We have 42 Longhorn cows, 15 two year old heifers which being introduced to the bull this spring. 5 bulls, 2 bought in and 3 homebred and all working. As well as the Longhorns we have Highland cattle. We have 5 different breeds of sheep; Hampshire Downs, Coloured Rylands, Exmoor Horns, Greyface Dartmoors and Valais Black Nose and finally... Middle White Pigs. All pedigree! The latest addition to Pointer Pedigrees are these Swiss beauties, Valais Black Nose sheep. Jamie imported these only a few weeks ago so I was very lucky and excited to meet them! Feeding Time! Pointer Pedigrees have 5 different breeds of sheep on the farm; Hampshire Downs, Coloured Rylands, Exmoor Horns, Greyface Dartmoors and Valais Black Nose. Special treatment for this orphan lamb! My personal favourites! The Greyface Dartmoors... aren't they just adorable. Back to the Longhorns...You are in the middle of calving at the moment; do you find the Longhorns to be good mothers? Yes, excellent mothers and good temperament, but I am always cautious and I treat everyday like a new day every time I see them. As my temperament changes daily, so does theirs. What do you do with your young stock; do you sell them on to other breeders or retain them for your own breeding stock? We do a bit of everything, we wean all our young stock at 9 months then go through them all and work out what we want to be kept back to reintroduce in the herd. These are chosen for specific attributes, I am looking for length, locomotion (keeping fit and healthy on their feet), and decent growth rates. You start to understand what cows are breeding what! Anything that doesn’t make the grade has their horns removed and males will be castrated. These are then sold as stores straight away. The ones that make the top 25% are retained and haltered and any we don’t keep ourselves are available to buy both privately and at society sales. A few of the 2019 born calves. Longhorns make excellent mothers, here is a cow with her calf which was born while I was there! Do you sell your Longhorn beef locally, if so what feedback have you had? Our boss keeps a few for himself, just for his own private functions and events. Otherwise we sell the young stock as stores so not finishing them ourselves. You show your cattle, what do you look for in a show animal? I am looking for conformation, something that is stocky not fat but well fleshed. Length is important but you can’t always get flesh and length together. For the cows I want a nice feminine head and a bull to have a strong masculine head. I want width for easy calving and something, which walks well. The horns are irrelevant, with this breed the horns do not have to be symmetrical and can go any direction, the horns are irrelevant to the butcher! Why do you feel showing is important for you and your cattle? I think it is more important for the breed, whether it does me a favour or not because I have a good cow. It does a favour for the breed, which has had hard, times but is now on the up! It is a great selling platform for both the breed and me. It is even better when you are winning! Nothing better than your hard work paying off. Pointer Pedigrees have had a lot of success in the show ring! What is your favourite thing about owning cattle? I am just addicted to cattle since my Grandfather introduced me to them. I couldn’t think of anything better than being with him and his beloved Dairy Friesian cows. I bought my first Highland cow with money I got from the Government to fund my college, but I realised my money would be better spent on a cow which I paid off £25 a week for a year! Now the rest is history! What advice would you give someone looking to get cattle? Don’t bother! No joking… it brings you great joys but sometimes it can be hard work and painful with loss but the good overcomes the bad and I wouldn’t want my life without cows in it! I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Jamie, for taking the time to show we around the amazing Pointer farm. I had a fantastic morning learning all about the Longhorn cattle and being introduced to all the other breeds on the farm. I certainly learnt a lot and got a massive amount of inspiration for drawings and prints. If you would like to learn more about Pointer Pedigrees take a look at their website > www.pointerpedigrees.com and follow them on Instagram > @pointerpedigrees.
After my visit to Carr Farm to meet Nicola and her Waveney herd of Belted Galloway's, I came back to the studio to go through the many photos I had taken to try and pick one to draw from. The Belted Galloway are such a distinctive looking breed and to the untrained eye they may all look identical. However, Nicola told me that a Belted Galloway cow should have a short, feminine head and that a long face was less preferable, especially in the show ring. The Belted Galloway, are a tough native breed with so much character, I was really looking forward to drawing them. The only thing I was worried about was their features!!! With such a black face and with so much heavy winter coat it is very difficult to see their eyes. Eyes being an important feature and often the make or brake of drawing an animal... anyway I tried my best! Here is the pencil sketch which I did from a 2 year old heifer, her face was a especially difficult, even now I am not completely convinced by it. I spent so long trying to put the suggestion of her eyes, it is hard because you can barely make out their eyes through all their hair. After finding the drawing a little tricky I knew that the print would be even harder, as it is always difficult to put subtle detail into my hand stamped prints. Here is my final print, I feel that the texture within the print translates the shaggy, thick coats of the Belted Galloway well. In the end I am pleased with the result, after being quite anxious as to how it would turn out! I would like to say another BIG thank you to Nicola for taking the time to show me her Waveney Herd of Belted Galloway, I had a fantastic morning looking round the farm and meeting the cattle. If you would like to learn more about Carr Farm or maybe purchase one of their meat boxes please take a look at their website, www.carrfarm.org.
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HelloI am Izzi, farmer’s daughter and textile designer at IzziRainey. If I am not designing or sewing you will find me out in the farmyard with my cattle. I am constantly seeking inspiration for my prints, not that I have to look very far. Growing up on the farm, I have always been influenced by my surroundings and this combined with my passion for farming is what inspires my designs. I love spending time on the farm but I also enjoy learning about other people’s animals, passions and stories, which are also influential to my design process. I hope you enjoy reading ‘Over the Farm Gate’ Archives
October 2019
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All images are © IZZIRAINEY LIMITED 2019.
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