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The Hefted Farmer Susan Haywood and Barbara Crossley THIS EVER POPULAR BOOK IS NOW IN ITS THIRD IMPRINT AND SPECIAL, LIMITED EDITION, HARDBACK COPIES ARE AVAILABLE AT £15 or paperback copies at £10 (plus post and packing). ABOUT THE AUTHORS... Barbara Crossley has always been very interested in all kinds of social history, and fifteen years ago joined the Ambleside Oral History Society, one of the oldest in the country. REVIEWS: Susan Haywood and Barbara Crossley here reveal the ecology of hill farmer, hefted flock and landscape in upper Swaledale. The Hefted Farmer is an essential read for those who want to understand what was nearly lost in the foot and mouth epidemic in 2001. This book is one of the few good things that came in the aftermath of the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak, and shows how the fragile pattern of life in one of those special parts of Yorkshire, Swaledale, could so easily have been lost for ever. It demonstrates how the landscape, seasons, wildlife and the lives of the people and their sheep are intimately connected and how the way of life remains vulnerable even without national disasters. It is to be hoped that changes in the way that farming is supported will allow such areas and their local people and livestock to thrive without becoming rural theme parks. Dr Agnes Winter LEST WE FORGET The authors sensitive and knowledgeable text leads the reader through the establishment of hefts and the etymology of the dialectic terminology used in the Northern Dales. The development of these hefts is linked to the history of the upper part of Swaledale. The detail is a delight in particular the attention that the shepherds paid to the individual recognition of each one of their breeding flock. The description of the hill farmers year should be required reading for all animal science and veterinary students and the observation on both the sheep and the rural population are acute. The farmers tales give a real feel of the difficulties facing rural areas from the access to services such as schools or shops or doctors or even extension courses through to the natural love and care that these isolated communities offer to the wild areas we others are so privileged to enjoy. These wild areas are well depicted by two local illustrators Jocelyn Campbell and Jenny White-Cooper interspersed with well chosen photographs. Susan Haywood easily fits the living history of her co authors contributions around the more agricultural observations of her contribution. Sue was very active in campaigning for sensible scientific approaches during the 2001 outbreak. This books importance is contained in the factual recollections of the Foot and Mouth epidemic of 2001. The fear and horror of this disease come over well in the stories; the political handling of the disease is fairly criticised -a telling comment- they probably know more than we do, but they dont understand- encapsulates the isolation and frustration that is still felt today. Such things must never happen again. This is the message the book helps to carry forward. In 1968, the Northumberland committee report set out a way forward. By 2001, the predicted outbreak came. Computers ruled. Post codes drove the control. Personal sadness is tempered by the joy of a new birth bringing this book to a close. This book deserves a wide audience and will help to continue to raise the profile of the acceptable ways we can control disease in animals in the 21st century. Susan Paul, Veterinary Times, March 2005 Cover illustration taken from a lino-cut by Marie Hartley. The book was recently featured on TV in 'Dales Diary'. |
Profits from this book will be used to promote and sustain hefted Swaledale sheep and hill farming. ABOUT THE BOOK:
TO ORDER: To order one copy of this book, for delivery to a UK address only, with payment via Worldpay's secure credit card website, click * Please note price includes postage and packing of this book to a UK address. If you don't live in the UK, or if you wish to order several books, then please email books@hayloft.eu and your order will be dealt with personally. If you prefer to pay by cheque or to order by post or fax, then please print out and complete the order form on the order page. Another book by the same author: Letters Home. Hefted Sheep Flocks in Swaledale This book provides an insight into the lives of farmers working with hefted sheep flocks in Swaledale. There a number of important factors brought to light, such as the need to strike a balance between sheep and grouse, and the importance of agricultural shows to these isolated communities. The narratives of the farmers highlight their passion for their stock and their oneness with their way of life. The anxieties and desperation suffered by farmers during the foot and mouth epidemic are clearly described, as are the pressures placed upon them by government agencies and conservation groups. Above all, the book gives us a clear account of the nature and importance of hefted sheep flocks. This is a way of farming that must be preserved, and it is hoped that those reading this book will be convinced of this also. Sandy Mackenzie, March 2005 This unusual title, 'The Hefted Farmer', by Susan Haywood and Barbara Crossley, provides a clue to its subject... Hefted or heafed sheep are those which graze, generation after generation, their individual tracts of fell without need of boundary walls. This is the story of the hardy breed of farmers who keep them. |
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