Oliver Brayne 31 Derbyshire
As a self-confessed ‘sponge’, Oliver says he can’t wait to absorb all the new information he’ll encounter as an NSA Ambassador. He loves learning and applying ideas to the low-input flock he’s running in the High Peak area. This is currently 100 Easycare ewes and a small number of pedigree cattle on land rented from five different landlords. He also works as a landscaper and fencer, but hopes to increase livestock numbers instead so he can farm full-time. Oliver is a first-generation farmer and, as such, is passionate about encouraging other new entrants and better informing consumers. He says: “As farmers we should want to show any member of the public every part of our business. We should have systems in place that we are proud of and confident enough to share.” One to watch: Oliver wants to be a pioneer in the breeding of an upland, maternal, wool-shedding sheep with the potential to impact the entire UK hill sector.
Oliver completed NSA Q&As throughout 2018
March
- Are you planning anything different for this lambing season? I don't start lambing until 24th April. No major changes planned but one little thing that I'm going to try and do is record birth weights, or at least get a rough average. It's a recorded flock so the more data the better.
- What will be your favourite thing about the clock’s changing on 25th March? Lighter evenings and hopefully the prospect of some drier weather!
- If you were Prime Minister for a day, what single thing sheep-related thing would you change, and what single non-sheep thing would you change? Sheep related - I would end area-based BPS payments in favour of more of a payments-for-results system. Non sheep related - more drug abuse awareness/education in schools. Drug problems lead to so many other problems in society.
- If you could swap your farm (or the farm you work on) for the farm of one of the other NSA Next Generation Ambassador’s this year, which one would you chose and why? Joe in Norfolk......I don't think they get quite as much snow as North Derbyshire!
May
- How is your 2018 lamb crop performing so far? Apart from a few problems with joint ill, this years lambs seem to be doing well.
- Defra has just closed its ‘Health and Harmony’ consultation on post-Brexit agricultural regulation. Environment, health and welfare were given higher priority in the paper than food production. What are your thoughts on this? Change is inevitable and the environment, health and welfare are high on my own priorities, so this doesn't worry me. Production wise, I believe quality may be equally as important as quantity, in order to keep people eating lamb.
- What were you doing on the hottest Bank Holiday Monday on record? The sheep were still in the first cycle of lambing so some work was required but I made time for a couple of cold ones later in the day.
- What (sheep related) wedding gift would you give Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and why? A crown of grass-fed British lamb. Why miss an opportunity to plug a great product and what would be more suitable for a royal than a crown?!
June
- What did you learn from the second NSA Next Generation Ambassador session? The main thing I took from the second session is that if you want something doing, get out there and do something about it yourself, whether it be a podcast or promoting British lamb. We met and spoke to some inspiring people.
- If a bus of NSA members turned up to view your flock today, what would you take them to see? I'd proudly show visitors my flock of Easy Care ewes to demonstrate how good their feet are and that there isn't wool all over the fields when they shed.
- The Government is currently exploring animal welfare in transport / live exports, due to pressure from the anti-farming lobby to ban live exports. What would you like to say to Michael Gove and his civil servants on this topic? In my experience the treatment of farm animals during transport is similar to how they are treated on the whole - i.e. the vast majority are very well cared for but the stockmen/hauliers who let the side down need to be clamped down on.
- What is your favourite sheep farming task? My favourite task is weighing lambs at weaning, it's always interesting to see how different ewes have performed.
- The average attendance for a FIFA World Cup game is more than 53,000 fans! You’ve got 10 minutes during the half time break for a sheep farming demonstration. What would you show off and why? This would have to be a sheepdog demonstration. I always find these a really good way of helping gain respect from the public. People love to see the skill, the patience and the intelligent relationship between dog and handler.
September
- Now the nights are drawing in and temperatures are dropping, what (if anything!) are you looking forward to this autumn/winter? Going into autumn, I always look forward to the breeding sheep sales, I enjoy seeing what the trade is like and catching up with friends.
- How many ewes are you putting / have you put to the tup this autumn? I've 250 ewes going to the tup this year, which is 150 more than last year. This increase is as a consequence of me taking on a new farm.
- If you weren’t a sheep farmer what would you be and why? If I wasn't a farmer I'd like to be a mechanic or to race mountain bikes. I'm not very good at either but they both interest me!
- What is your favourite breed of sheep and why? Although I've never farmed any, I'd have to say the Herdwick. I think they look great and do the job they were intended for well.
- Never throw away baler twine! What is your best use for this farm essential? My favourite use for baler twine is old but gold.....a replacement belt. You can't get much done with your trousers round your ankles!
Final round of questions
- Of the farms you’ve visited during your year as an Ambassador, which would you like to live and work on and why – or, which farmer you have met would you like to work with and why? Frank Lloyd because of a mixture between the type of land (not completely flat!) and that he was inspiring and ran an interesting system.
- What useful piece of advice have you taken away and implemented on your farm since becoming an NSA Next Generation Ambassador? Are you seeing any benefits from this already? I haven't technically changed anything but attention to detail and preventative treatments are two important messages I've taken away.
- What useful piece of advice have you taken away and plan to implement in the next year or two. No one system is better than another. It's how you implement and carry it out that makes the difference.
- Select an ambassador from team 2018! Where do you see them in 10 years’ time? Sion...back in NZ!
- 2019 is just around the corner. Will you be making any new year’s resolutions for yourself personally or for your farm / place of work in 2019? Do more faecal egg counting.
- Brexit has been the top topic during your first year as an Ambassador. Where do you think the final negotiations will end up and will it be good for UK sheep farmers? I think we'll get a deal but I struggle to see sheep farmers coming out of it well, at least for the first few years.
As a self-confessed ‘sponge’, Oliver says he can’t wait to absorb all the new information he’ll encounter as an NSA Ambassador. He loves learning and applying ideas to the low-input flock he’s running in the High Peak area. This is currently 100 Easycare ewes and a small number of pedigree cattle on land rented from five different landlords. He also works as a landscaper and fencer, but hopes to increase livestock numbers instead so he can farm full-time. Oliver is a first-generation farmer and, as such, is passionate about encouraging other new entrants and better informing consumers. He says: “As farmers we should want to show any member of the public every part of our business. We should have systems in place that we are proud of and confident enough to share.” One to watch: Oliver wants to be a pioneer in the breeding of an upland, maternal, wool-shedding sheep with the potential to impact the entire UK hill sector.
Oliver completed NSA Q&As throughout 2018
March
- Are you planning anything different for this lambing season? I don't start lambing until 24th April. No major changes planned but one little thing that I'm going to try and do is record birth weights, or at least get a rough average. It's a recorded flock so the more data the better.
- What will be your favourite thing about the clock’s changing on 25th March? Lighter evenings and hopefully the prospect of some drier weather!
- If you were Prime Minister for a day, what single thing sheep-related thing would you change, and what single non-sheep thing would you change? Sheep related - I would end area-based BPS payments in favour of more of a payments-for-results system. Non sheep related - more drug abuse awareness/education in schools. Drug problems lead to so many other problems in society.
- If you could swap your farm (or the farm you work on) for the farm of one of the other NSA Next Generation Ambassador’s this year, which one would you chose and why? Joe in Norfolk......I don't think they get quite as much snow as North Derbyshire!
May
- How is your 2018 lamb crop performing so far? Apart from a few problems with joint ill, this years lambs seem to be doing well.
- Defra has just closed its ‘Health and Harmony’ consultation on post-Brexit agricultural regulation. Environment, health and welfare were given higher priority in the paper than food production. What are your thoughts on this? Change is inevitable and the environment, health and welfare are high on my own priorities, so this doesn't worry me. Production wise, I believe quality may be equally as important as quantity, in order to keep people eating lamb.
- What were you doing on the hottest Bank Holiday Monday on record? The sheep were still in the first cycle of lambing so some work was required but I made time for a couple of cold ones later in the day.
- What (sheep related) wedding gift would you give Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and why? A crown of grass-fed British lamb. Why miss an opportunity to plug a great product and what would be more suitable for a royal than a crown?!
June
- What did you learn from the second NSA Next Generation Ambassador session? The main thing I took from the second session is that if you want something doing, get out there and do something about it yourself, whether it be a podcast or promoting British lamb. We met and spoke to some inspiring people.
- If a bus of NSA members turned up to view your flock today, what would you take them to see? I'd proudly show visitors my flock of Easy Care ewes to demonstrate how good their feet are and that there isn't wool all over the fields when they shed.
- The Government is currently exploring animal welfare in transport / live exports, due to pressure from the anti-farming lobby to ban live exports. What would you like to say to Michael Gove and his civil servants on this topic? In my experience the treatment of farm animals during transport is similar to how they are treated on the whole - i.e. the vast majority are very well cared for but the stockmen/hauliers who let the side down need to be clamped down on.
- What is your favourite sheep farming task? My favourite task is weighing lambs at weaning, it's always interesting to see how different ewes have performed.
- The average attendance for a FIFA World Cup game is more than 53,000 fans! You’ve got 10 minutes during the half time break for a sheep farming demonstration. What would you show off and why? This would have to be a sheepdog demonstration. I always find these a really good way of helping gain respect from the public. People love to see the skill, the patience and the intelligent relationship between dog and handler.
September
- Now the nights are drawing in and temperatures are dropping, what (if anything!) are you looking forward to this autumn/winter? Going into autumn, I always look forward to the breeding sheep sales, I enjoy seeing what the trade is like and catching up with friends.
- How many ewes are you putting / have you put to the tup this autumn? I've 250 ewes going to the tup this year, which is 150 more than last year. This increase is as a consequence of me taking on a new farm.
- If you weren’t a sheep farmer what would you be and why? If I wasn't a farmer I'd like to be a mechanic or to race mountain bikes. I'm not very good at either but they both interest me!
- What is your favourite breed of sheep and why? Although I've never farmed any, I'd have to say the Herdwick. I think they look great and do the job they were intended for well.
- Never throw away baler twine! What is your best use for this farm essential? My favourite use for baler twine is old but gold.....a replacement belt. You can't get much done with your trousers round your ankles!
Final round of questions
- Of the farms you’ve visited during your year as an Ambassador, which would you like to live and work on and why – or, which farmer you have met would you like to work with and why? Frank Lloyd because of a mixture between the type of land (not completely flat!) and that he was inspiring and ran an interesting system.
- What useful piece of advice have you taken away and implemented on your farm since becoming an NSA Next Generation Ambassador? Are you seeing any benefits from this already? I haven't technically changed anything but attention to detail and preventative treatments are two important messages I've taken away.
- What useful piece of advice have you taken away and plan to implement in the next year or two. No one system is better than another. It's how you implement and carry it out that makes the difference.
- Select an ambassador from team 2018! Where do you see them in 10 years’ time? Sion...back in NZ!
- 2019 is just around the corner. Will you be making any new year’s resolutions for yourself personally or for your farm / place of work in 2019? Do more faecal egg counting.
- Brexit has been the top topic during your first year as an Ambassador. Where do you think the final negotiations will end up and will it be good for UK sheep farmers? I think we'll get a deal but I struggle to see sheep farmers coming out of it well, at least for the first few years.
