Society summer visit

This year's summer visit is to Newbottle Estate Farms, Forceleap Farm, Brackley, Northants NN13 5PJ on Sunday 16 September by kind invitation of Mr John and Lady Juliet Townsend and their daughter Alice who is the Estate Manager. 

The main beef herd on the estate is 150 Aberdeen Angus, but as a family the Townsends like traditional breeds so they started a small herd of Longhorns which now totals 11 breeding cows with followers. The Angus are a commercial herd and the Estate breeds, fattens and runs all the cattle through Brackley Butchers in Charlton which was bought in partnership with the butcher a few years ago.  The contract with the butcher is to supply two beasts a week, every week. To meet this demand the Angus are split into two herds - spring calving and autumn calving so the calving pattern means calving for 3 -4 months in the spring, 2-3 months off before calving again in the autumn. The Angus are killed at about 22-26 months so that means there's a hole in supply in the middle of the summer and the middle of the winter when 24 months old fat stock ‘run out'.  The winter gap is easy to manipulate as with management young animals can be brought on or held back by feeding. The summer gap is more of a problem as all the stock are out grazing so to manipulate their feeding at this time of year is time consuming and expensive. The solution is the Longhorns which are an early spring calving herd and as they are killed at around 30 months they fill a ‘hungry gap' at the butcher when there are not many Angus coming through.

The plan is to meet in the morning, have a tour of the farm and cattle and then gather for a barbeque lunch before departing. There will be a modest charge payable to cover the cost of the BBQ.  Please give me a call or email me to confirm your attendance by Friday 7 September so that the catering can be organized.

 Click here for the Newbottle Estate website