A Yorkshire farmer is preparing to auction off his entire pool of modern farm equipment after taking the decision to turn back the clocks and start working the land traditionally.
Steve Newlove hopes to raise enough money from the sale to enable him to buy in vintage machinery that can be manually driven or pulled by the two pedigree Shire horses he has already invested in.
A former pig farmer, Steve has always had an ambition to run a heritage farm and is passionate about sharing the highs and lows of setting it up and making it work.
“This is going to be an educational venture that reaches out to all ages, from nursery children who want to come and see the baby lambs to adults who are keen to get their hands dirty and learn traditional skills,” says Steve.
“Most people who live in the countryside today have moved here for lifestyle reasons and have no experience of farming and that’s something I’d like to help change.”
Auctioneer Chris Clubley will conduct the auction at Thorpe Hill Farm in Thorpe Underwood, near Green Hammerton, York, at 1pm on June 25th.
Steve will then spend a month preparing to open his educational heritage farm to the public at the end of July.
He already has much of the livestock in place including a flock of Ouessant sheep, the smallest breed in Europe, and is putting the finishing touches to a deer park.
Plans include a café, farm shop, children’s adventure activities, a maize maze and wetland with bird hide, all of which is expected to be operational by the end of the year.
