YOU might think sheep farming hasn't changed much in the last 50 years, but a leading Cheshire farmer would be keen to prove you wrong.
Born into a Knutsford farming family in 1969, Amelia Brighouse got a solid education in science before coming back to the industry, and with husband Russell Brighouse, now runs 140-acre Brighouse Farm, just outside Knutsford.
We caught up with Amelia at the Royal Cheshire County Show, where she was showing off some of her 350-strong flock of pedigree Dorset Poll sheep, which are a rarity in the north of England and are quite special, as they’re able to produce lambs the whole year round.
This is at the heart of Amelia’s innovative approach to farming, which involves optimising her system of pasture rotation, and developing her flocks' genetics, which she says is all about keeping up with the everchanging demands of supermarkets.
Amelia said: “With the way our industry's going, and with environmental planning for the future, it’s all about sustainability and sustainable farming.
“Both my husband and I are from farming families, but I went off to pursue a science education.
“I’ve come back into it, but it's a sort of innovative farming with the Dorset Polls, looking into different management systems.
“We have to respect the environment, cut carbon and methane emissions, and we have to strategise.
“We’re looking at pasture management and rotation, and the development of the genetics of the sheep, to make them more efficient. Optimisation is the key.
“If you’re going to sell to the supermarkets, it’s hard because standards have to be ever-increasing. That’s perfectly understandable, but sometimes hard to keep up with.
"Farmers are looking to comply with what’s needed, but the pressures that puts on us producers is incredible, and we have to plan for the future.”
Amelia entered two of her Dorset Polls, a ram and ewe, into the rare and native breeds sheep competition at the Cheshire Show this year, where they each took second prize.
She says showing is important because it’s a rare chance for the general public to see what’s going on in the world of farming, which helps foster a mutual respect.
“The way I see it, with the shows, we get to be hosts to the non-farming public for the day. It’s lovely when people tak an interest in what we're up to.
“The government want farmers to engage with the community, which is fair enough, and shows like the Royal Cheshire act as an interface.
“They help promote farming, and educate the general public at the same time.
"I think they’re a great way of building a positive relationship.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here