Page 98 - British Blue Yearbook 2023

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KINNERTON HALL FARM
Nestled in the beautiful, rolling Shropshire Hills AONB, right on the Welsh borders, lies a major family farming operation. Well-hidden and low key, it’s not really visible from the roads and it’s not until you get talking to Phil and Michael, the brothers behind this business, that you begin to get an idea of its scale.
The Wood family moved to Kinnerton Farm some 60 years ago when they took on 144 acres. This has increased substantially over the years’, and they now run around 2700 acres, shared between taken land and what they own. They now lamb around 3500 North of England Mules ewes, finishing up to 10,000 lambs each year and if that wasn’t enough, they run a noted suckler herd of 450 breeding cattle, a combination of Limousin and British Blue X cows which they buy in with calves at foot, using both British Blue and Limousin bulls over two separate herds. The full extent of the business is showed when they revealed the annual fuel costs for their Land Rovers.... It made my eyes water, and that’s all I will say about that! The farm is run in partnership by Phil, who live at Kinnerton, his brother Michael, who lives at nearby Brookshill Farm and their mother. Phil’s wife, Sue, sons Martin and Simon, and Michaels’ son Tom all work alongside each other in the business too. It really is a full-
on family business, with everyone helping out in all jobs at all times.
Michael and his son Tom run their 220 strong herd of the suckler cattle, mainly bought in Limousin X Blues and a few pure Limousins, which run with the British Blue bulls, with currently 7 bulls being used, covering up to 50 cows each They brought their first Belgian Blue bulls, as they were then, back in 1988 when they purchased two bulls, with full Belgian genetics, at the Pimhill dispersal sale in Shrewsbury. They have been champions of the Blues ever since, praising the quality of the calves and the demand for their progeny grows stronger year on year. One of the massive plus points for them are the consistent confirmation from the British Blue bulls and also, as they sell all their calves as stores, the demand and saleability of the Blue sired heifers, combined with a nice quiet temperament, helps gives them a edge on the trade. Last