Meet Cannon Hall Farm's Rob and Dave Nicholson Ahead of the Great Yorkshire Show
The Great Yorkshire Show is back this week!
When England’s premier agricultural event, the Great Yorkshire Show, returns to the Harrogate Showground this year, once again visitors will be able to see the best livestock in the country competing in national breed shows, alongside machinery, food and entertainment, which all comes together to celebrate the best of farming, food and the countryside. During the four-day celebration of farming, when more than 8,000 animals will be on show, Rob and Dave will appear on the Ariat GYS Stage in a chat hosted by local TV presenter Christine Talbot. Helen Skelton and Matt Baker, and Peter Wright of Channel 5’s The Yorkshire Vet, will also be on stage.
‘We’ve got the biggest array of animals we’ve ever taken,’ Rob reveals. ‘We’re very lucky to be asked to speak on the main stage on the Wednesday and we’ve got a stand too. We’ve got all sorts happening – it’s our favourite show! I’m really looking forward to seeing how well our Dutch spotted sheep do. We’ve got some cracking bloodlines that we’ve been breeding over the last few years and we think we’ve got some good lambs which we hope will perform really well out there in the ring.’
Rob and Dave believe the Great Yorkshire Show is a key event in the life of Yorkshire farmers and the farming community as a whole. ‘Reputationally, it’s really important because we pride ourselves in being a county that’s special,’ Rob says. ‘We feel lucky to live here.’
‘There’s something for everyone to enjoy at the Great Yorkshire Show,’ agrees Dave. ‘You’ve got the livestock and all the different breeds and when we’re showing the Highland cattle, there are thousands of people going through that shed. It’s extremely popular. If you’re a bit of a shopper, you’ve got all the tents outside and the food hall is stunning too.’
Cannon Hall Farm outside Barnsley has been open to the public for 36 years, which Rob admits, was the ‘last roll of the dice’. ‘We went down the tourist diversification route and thankfully people came and we’ve evolved and added to the farm. We’ve built playgrounds, a restaurant, a farm shop – we’ve got the full bag of mashings in terms of diversification and it’s worked. And we’re still farming the land – that’s the main thing.’
Rob and Dave have always been passionate about putting farming’s best face forward. ‘We want to showcase how we farm in Yorkshire and we want to educate the public about farming,’ explains Dave. ‘We’ve got a big farm shop, a butchers, a bakers and a vast range of products that we produce ourselves. We even have a gelato and we’re making our own on-site with milk from a local dairy farm. We have thousands of visitors a year and I think it’s important that they go away with a positive impression of farming.’
Importantly, Rob feels that not everyone should have to diversify in order to be a farmer. ‘There should be a way for farmers to produce great food in harmony with nature, charge a fair price, earn a good living and produce the food people want to eat,’ he says. ‘At the moment, I don’t think farming has been given a fair crack of the whip. We want to be out there banging the drum for British agriculture for a fair and better deal.’
That’s exactly what they’ll be doing at the Great Yorkshire Show. They understand that Yorkshire’s agriculture plays an important part in the UK’s farming industry – and the show itself has economic benefits too.
‘We’ve got the hills, we’ve got fertile flat land, we’ve got the coast,’ Dave says. ‘There’s a bit of everything in Yorkshire, including grade-one arable land and landscapes that are something that would be the envy of most countries in the world,’ Rob adds. ‘If you think of the hills and the Dales, and the history of our dry stone walls and hedges and all that goes with it, I know we’re biased but I don’t think there’s a better one.’
Of course, it’s important that the land is maintained. ‘Built by farmers, maintained by farmers,’ as Rob says. ‘You can’t turn your back on livestock farming,’ Dave argues. ‘You really want a mixed farm in every county. I think it’s important that livestock farming is kept and supported.’
The brothers agree that it’s not easy for everyone to find a career in farming, but would certainly recommend it. ‘To buy land is really difficult and really expensive. Where a lot of people start is as a contractor, and if they do well and get something going there’s a chance there to get a foothold and to acquire land one way or another,’ explains Rob. ‘It’s not easy but it’s probably not impossible. You need a good idea, to work hard and a little bit of luck.
‘It’s really hard for someone starting out on the ladder to end up acquiring a big farm. I’m not sure with the current system how that can be made easier. People of our grandparent’s generation were able to take on a farm, build it up and take it forward. The lack of opportunity, I think, is a problem for young people.’
Cannon Hall is a family-run farm. ‘We’d like [our grandchildren], if they want to, to step into the farming community as well,’ Dave adds. ‘They can do anything they want, but if they want to be a farmer, we’d like them to have that opportunity.’
Their appearance on Channel 5’s ‘On the Farm’ series has helped the brothers share more about their farm and the future of farming. ‘It’s given us a platform to showcase Yorkshire, Barnsley and Cannon Hall Farm, and people now are making a dedicated journey to our farm because they’ve seen it on telly,’ says Rob. ‘I’ve been honoured to be given three sets of ashes to scatter on the farm – people who have really latched onto it have wanted their final resting place to be here in Barnsley. We’re lucky to have had such a following and it’s been good for the area. Lots of people are now coming on staycations and hopefully doing a bit of levelling up, coming from the South and spending money in the North which can’t be a bad thing for our area. It gives us a good platform for us to talk about farming and to let people know just how important it is. Once our ability to grow food is gone, it’ll be very hard to recreate. It’s use it or lose it.’
What’s one item you couldn’t live without?
Dave: Being a farmer, I don’t really want to say my penknife but it’s so handy. I’d say a multitool. It’s either that or my JCB! Both of them are very useful, and together they’re a winning team.
What’s your favourite season and why?
Rob: This spring has been hard to beat so I’m going to say springtime – new life, new buds, birdsong and the grass growing.
Dave: I’ll go with summer because springtime is hard work (you’ve got all the lambing). In summer, you start to relax a little bit more. We’re livestock farmers so we can slow down a little bit and enjoy the ‘Yorkshire summer’.
What keeps you motivated?
Rob: Trying to make our farm the best it can be – the best display of animals and trying to make sure every animal we breed is born successfully. Every hour or two I check the cameras. We have an American miniature horse and a shetland pony that are close [to giving birth] at the moment, and a cow. It’s about trying to make a good job of everything to create the right impression for farming. We need to make sure that what we actually do is as good as the image we portray.
