There’s no better time to catch up with one of our amazing producers than Love Lamb Week, an annual celebration of our world-class lamb and the people behind it.
For the Quayles, farming really is a family affair. Stephen and Gill’s families have been farmers for generations and the bloodline looks set to continue with their young family, all passionate young farmers: Ella (10) and Charlie (9), and nephew Will (12) – not forgetting 4-month-old puppy Ruby who is Charlie’s dog in training! Here’s their story.
“We rent and farm over 600 acres from Ballanarye Farm in Knocksharry and a couple of smaller farms near Kirk Michael. We have around 850 sheep made up of at least 7 different breeds, 70 beef cows and grain crops.”
Gill, who works at Barclays but spends every spare moment on the farm, explained what the kids really enjoyed:
“We’ve never really been involved in showing our sheep at the agricultural shows, but it’s something the kids are really into. Charlie and Will are also passionate about rare breeds and have Herdwicks and Loaghtans among others.”
What do the kids love most about farming?
Ella was first to jump in. “Lambing!”
Gill explained a bit more:
“Ella is amazing at lambing time, she’s a natural. We can leave her to crack on now as she’s helped deliver so many lambs, even ones that needed turning. She’s brilliant with the sheep and knows exactly what to do. Will, who has around 17 sheep of his own, is also hands-on at lambing time and Charlie helps catch them.”
Charlie’s favourites are herding, shearing and weighing the sheep. He’s working with new puppy Ruby to train her. Will is involved in all aspects of the farm, but when we got there he had just gone solo on the tractor for the first time, which is always a special moment.
What are the challenges of sheep farming?
“Wool has definitely been one of the major issues. It just isn’t fashionable anymore, despite being one of the best natural products, and they just aren’t worth anything anymore,” Gill explained. “Hopefully that will change in the future. It just seems a bit silly not be using such a fantastic natural substance. Obviously, price is always an issue but it hasn’t been a bad year. Shipping costs are still one of the main challenges as is fuel.”
How well is Manx sheep farming doing?
“We think it’s definitely got better but there’s always room for improvement. Manx National Farmers Union are great and do lots to support the industry. Isle of Man Meats has got a lot better and definitely trying harder now than they used to and are a lot more proactive. Kirree has been an asset to them as she really understands sheep farming and farming in general. David Bellamy from Manx Wildlife Trust has also been a massive help, to us and the farming community in general. He’s helped with everything from understanding grants to managing the biodiversity. We have a load of choughs on the farm which David was really positive about.
“There’s always more that can be done though, and making the most of our unique Biosphere status should be a priority because we really do have quality of produce that stacks up with anywhere, and it has such low food miles.”
Why is ‘supporting local’ so important?
Gill explained how they felt:
“I just don’t understand why people would buy something that’s travelled hundreds or thousands of miles when this amazing quality local produce is right on their doorstep. But that’s also something that our local retailers could maybe do better, especially our supermarkets.
“It can be hard to find what is genuinely Manx and what isn’t. We know price is a factor too, but money spent locally on local products has multiple benefits to our economy and way of life on the island. Also, the supermarkets don’t seem to take the cheaper cuts from Isle of Man Meats which really could benefit the consumer on island, and ourselves.
“We’ve also got this massive tourism push going on, but we don’t seem to realise that local food and drink produce is an important part of attracting tourists and there’s much more that could be done, we just don’t seem to have linked it all together. The fishing industry is struggling too, which is crazy with the quality of our local produce.”
How did we feel about our visit?
For us at Isle of Man Meats, it’s always a privilege to spend a bit of time with our local farmers. Aside from the produce, it is obvious the Quayles really care about the environment and helping to manage part of our unique island. You can also see the challenges of farming here, and the importance of our community supporting them and looking out for Manx produce.
Perhaps the best bit for us was seeing the next generation in action. Will, Ella and Charlie just live and breathe every aspect of farming. For this family, the future’s in good hands.
Our thanks go to the wonderful Quayle family for finding the time to spend with us.
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