James Newhouse

James farms in the Yorkshire Dales with his wife Amy and two kids Elkie and Ned. They have a small hill farm with Belted Galloway cows and Swaledale and Herdwick sheep. Everything is bred pure and the focus is breeding hardy animals in the environment they belong, but doing this alongside nature. Their focus over the last few years has been on improving genetics, creating better habitats for wildlife and their animals with hedges, trees, ponds and species rich meadows. 

The family’s aim is to sell all their produce directly. They supply a local restaurant, boxes to the community and have a vending machine at the Courtyard Dairy with some other Pasture for Life farmers. They try to use every part of the animal to maximise profits. They have on-farm holiday accommodation where they sell their produce, which makes the farm more viable. All this — alongside educational visits and keeping the kids smiling — keeps them very busy.