12:22pm Friday 7th September 2007
CHAIRING the regional Year of Food and Farming would be a big enough project for most people, yet Steve Willis has also found time to launch his new business - Crimple Valley Fresh - a home delivery service offering quality local food.
Married, with four children, he built up a 100-cow dairy herd on the family's 100-acre all grass tenancy at Fullwith Mill Farm, Pannal, Harrogate.
Like many other milk producers, however, poor farmgate prices saw them eventually decide to quit production.
"Like a lot of small family farms, there has not been the money for re-investment," said Mr Willis. "We got to the stage where a lot was needed to keep the farm viable and our landlords did not want to invest vast sums in dairying.
"It was my lifelong ambition to be a dairy farmer and I never ever thought I would not milk cows, but the one thing highlighted in the last four years is that you have to adapt."
Born in Newcastle, he attended agricultural college in Lancashire before returning to Northumberland where he became manager of a 200cow dairy herd.
After 17 years, the family took on the tenancy at Fullwith Mill.
In 1997 Mr Willis became chairman of White Rose Farmers, becoming group secretary responsible for buying inputs for the 50-plus members.
He was chairman of the National Farmers' Union North- East dairy board and was a member of the national board for two years before retiring when he sold his own herd.
Now he rears heifers on his land for an organic dairy farmer, which allows that producer to keep more cows on his own land.
Then, after much thought and research, he decided there was an opening for a home delivery service offering quality local food and launched Crimple Valley Fresh, named after the valley the farm lies in, in May.
Mr Willis said: "We thought it might help small producers who might not have a route to market but who had a unique product for discerning customers."
He has also attracted some well-known names including the Yorkshire Dales Meat Company of Patrick Brompton; Sue Gaudie's Yorkshire Clotted Cream and yoghurts from West Rounton; Elspeth Biltoft's Rosebud Preserves of Healey, near Masham, and I's Pies of Melmerby, near Ripon.
Freshly-produced local vegetables and salads are bought, along with fresh fruit.
Mr Willis said: "I sell bunches of carrots and can sell potatoes with soil on, which people come back for, the variety is right and the flavour is there."
He covers Harrogate district, which includes North Leeds, Ripon, York and Skipton, and is attracting new customers and producers all the time.
Mr Willis said: "We can offer food that is of known provenance, very high quality and which tastes like food used to taste."
He can be contacted on 01423-873 636 or at info@crimplevalleyfresh.
com.
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