When Andrew and Sally Hattan took over the tenancy of run-down upland farm Low Riggs Middlesmoor, Nidderdale, in 2007, their goal was to create a farm that cared for the land and was financially sustainable in the long run. Part of this was choosing the right breed of cow to keep. The first task was to rebuild the farm landscape and infrastructure with help from a Natural England stewardship grant. 2000 metres of dry-stone walls needed much repair, several hectares of ghyll woodland needed restoring and the upland hay-meadows needed re-planting – re-populating as they would have been with traditional and diverse breeds of grass, herbs and clover. The final part of the stewardship grant, and providing a significant contribution to the restoration this upland farm, is a requirement to keep a stock of native-breed cattle. But first they had to decide which cattle to choose. Andrew and Sally wanted the farm to be financially sustainable long-term so it had to be a breed that made business sense. Being a rural upland farm, high in the Yorkshire Dales, Low Riggs has poor access (it is a long distance from ‘civilization’ and main roads), tough terrain, long winters, a short growing…
