THIS month’s NBA Beef Expo will include farm tours of traditional beef enterprises. The National Beef Association’s two-day event is returning to Hexham Mart after four years on May 21 and 22.

Renowned Northumberland farmers Willie Woodman and the Hunter family will host the tours.

Mr Woodman farms as JE Woodman & Son with his wife, Christine, mother, Kathleen, and son, Martin.

They farm 1,650 acres at two bases, which are 30 miles apart – 1,200 acres at Great Chesters in the shadow of Hadrian’s Wall, and 575 acres at Bradford House, near Belsay.

They have 270 cattle, mainly Limousin crosses with a few Belgian crosses, with 50 to 60 bulling heifers, plus 1,100 sheep made up of 700 Blackfaces and 400 Mule and Texel crosses.

The family has run Great Chesters as a livestock farm since Mr Woodman’s father, Ted, took the tenancy in 1969. They bought it in 1993 and purchased Bradford Farm in 2002 as a base to grow wheat, barley, oilseed rape and beans.

Mr Woodman, who is a director of Hexham and Northern Marts, said: “We are traditional Northumberland farmers. We sell our cattle when they are older and have more growth and flesh on them. We keep them on grass and then finish them.”

The majority are sold at Hexham mart aged 18 to 22 months, and Mr Woodman uses Charolais and Limousin bulls bought at the Stirling Sales. Replacement cattle are bought in.

He said: “As a traditionalist, I purchase animals on sight and it’s a bonus if they come with good breeding figures. We keep the adult cattle at Great Chesters and move them to Bradford initially into the sheds for finishing.

The cattle we sell are strong stores as opposed to fat cattle.”

The Woodmans calve in the autumn and spring and sell their stores in the spring.

The farm’s store bullocks are sold to a top price of £1,800.

Mr Woodman said: “We focus on commercial animals, we don’t have any show cattle. I enjoy the pressure of producing and selling good store cattle.

“Based where we are in Northumberland, the main challenge we face is the weather, as well as red tape and regulations that seem to be increasing all the time.

“Plus, because our two farms are 30 miles apart, we have machinery costs to deal with at both farms.”

Visitors will also be able to view the Woodmans’ sheep and arable businesses.

Mr Woodman, an NBA member of many years’ standing, said: “I hope visitors will get a good insight into the costs and margins, how we have tried to improve efficiency and that the visit will stimulate debate about the future of beef farming. Beef Expo being held here in Northumberland gives the NBA an opportunity to showcase some of the finest store cattle in the country.”

The second visit is to The Steel, near Hexham, and Carrick, just outside Elsdon, which are run by Andrew and Caroline Hunter and their families.

Andrew is the third generation of his family to hold The Steel tenancy from BAE Systems, and works the farm with help from his parents, John and Doreen. Caroline is the third generation at Carrick where her mother, Margaret, is involved.

The Steel, an 800-acre farm with an additional 55 acres at West Woodburn, has 110 Limousin cross suckler cows and 720 Hexham black face ewes. The family run the enterprise with part-time help from Kevin Ridley.

Carrick is a 1,200-acre traditional Northumberland hill farm, which is mainly tenanted from the Ministry of Defence with 200 acres owned by the family.

Shepherd George Birnie lives on site to tend to the 720 Blackface ewes and 30 spring calving cows.

Mr Hunter said: “Beef Expo gives people a chance to see some quality suckler cattle. It gives them an opportunity to look at the upland farms that really are trying to breed good commercial store cattle.”

The two farm businesses work together, with the ownbreeding policy introduced at Carrick over the past five to six years providing replacement animals for The Steel.

The Hunters use Limousin bulls, from John Logan, at Hume Byers, near Kelso, and Paul Carins at Plumtree, near Nottingham.

The family uses a combination of sight and EBVS when purchasing stock. Mr Hunter said: “In the past, people have purchased on prices. However, increasingly we need to look at the EBVs.

“As we are keeping the replacement heifer calves, we need to look at the feet and maternal values. They have to be able to grow because kilos count, and they need to have some personality and quality. It’s important to look at the bigger picture.”

Upland farms face numerous challenges. The Steel land rises to 1,000ft above sea level and is fairly exposed. Mr Hunter said: “The weather is a challenge – some years cows can be in from the end of October to May, and most years, they are inside longer than they are out.”

The second day of Beef Expo will shift the focus to Hexham Mart, where the National Spring Spectacular Show of cattle will be held alongside a substantial trade stand area where farmers can find out about the latest production developments.

Improved efficiency to achieve greater profits will be the key theme of the 2014 event, which is expected to attract more than 6,000 beef farmers. Robert Addison, chairman of NBA Beef Expo 2014, said: “The farm visits, which are always very popular, will provide a great insight for farmers from all over the UK to see how successful Northumbrian beef farmers like Willie Woodman run their enterprises.”

  • Coaches for the farm trips will depart from Hexham Mart and include refreshments and lunch. The places are limited to the first 300 applicants, with tickets priced at £25. They can also be bought in conjunction with tickets for Beef Expo for £30 for NBA members and £35 for non-members.

For further details and to book a place contact Euan Emslie on 01430-441870.