APPENDIX 22
Letter to James Gray MP from Mr John Tuck
Since I last wrote to you on 26 March, we have met
socially through our mutual friend Steve Bucknell, our meeting
in the House of Commons being the first time I had missed a milking
since my son left for New Zealand on 8 November last. On 22 May,
between handbell ringing and the party in the evening, I went
home and did the milking.
How did I get myself on to this treadmill? In 1990
I took the decision not to replace my only employee when he left,
and to rely on my wife and family, particularly my twin sons,
then aged 13, to help me run the farm. The business consisting
of an 80-cow dairy herd plus followers and a small number of beef
cattle. With the exception of a period when I was unable to work
because of injuries sustained in a road accident, this worked
reasonably smoothly until my sons came to leave the local comprehensive
school and go into higher education, in the autumn of 1995. At
this point to reduce the workload on ourselves, Rosemary and I
took the decision to sell our dairy herd but to retain the young
stock to build up a new herd for Stephen (his twin David has no
ambition to farm) when he had completed his degree. While the
stock on the farm was reduced we would continue to have income
from leasing out grass keep and milk quota which were surplus
to our needs. We have now built up our herd to just over half
its previous size, and are in the position that the herd cannot
finance its own expansion and income from leasing out grass keep
and milk quota is being used to keep the farm running.
This farm used to be surrounded by five other family
dairy farms. Only one of those remains as a farm, no longer dairying,
and having income from sources other than farming.
I am 56 years old and took over milking duties on
this farm in 1962, and have no desire to continue until I am 65,
but I am fortunate in having a son who wants to follow on the
family tradition. He has strong family ties with this land, he
has a Degree in Agriculture from Nottingham University, he has
practical experience gained at home and in New Zealand. DOES HE
HAVE A FUTURE? Please point out to members of the Agriculture
Committee of the House of Commons that neither platitudes, cliches
nor soundbites constitute a future.
8 June 1999
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