Gordon Capstick
Gordon Capstick
Gordon and Mary Capstick
farm 230ha (569 acres), at
Milnthorpe in south Cumbria.
Stocking is 100 suckler
cows, with calves finished
alongside 100 purchased
stores, and 1200 Mule ewes
producing prime lambs.
About 10ha (25 acres) of
barley and 6ha (14 acres) of
soft fruit are also grown.
HAVENT fuel prices dropped recently? There must be a general election in the air. It is surprising what can be done by fuel companies when push comes to shove, but Im sure hauliers and farmers wont be happy until fuel is down to European prices.
What a festive season it has been. We have had snow and frost like we have not seen for long time. Big open sheds are great for management but they are useless when it comes to keeping frost at bay.
We spent much of the frosty days thawing troughs and water bowls until we had to concede defeat. So then we ran around with water in a plastic tank on the forklift, filling all the troughs.
However, the cold snap did at least allow us to empty the middens. I think most other local farmers were doing this as well during Christmas week. The pure white snow didnt stay that way for long.
We have just sold the first batch of store cattle and I was satisfied with the price of Charolais-cross heifers when you compare it with finished price. They were sold through one of our local auction marts.
Stock in the area is high quality which attracts buyers from Yorks. I have thought for a while that we in the west should concentrate on breeding and rearing finishers for further east where feed is cheaper.
I have been getting ribbed recently about my field of 60-day turnips next to the main road where everyone can see them on their way into town. The situation is bad. Germination has been patchy and those that have germinated are only about 5cm (2in) high so I have turned some of the lambing ewes into them to tidy up the field.
The bottom has dropped out of some quota sales. Leased milk quota is at 1p and under and at a recent sheep quota sale GB lowland was as low as 50p/ewe and LFA was £2.50 for lease. With many farmers going into environmental schemes and reducing stocking rates, I dont know where stock will come from in the future. *
Going east… Gordon Capstick believes there may be something to be gained by selling store cattle to producers in eastern areas where feed is cheaper.