SELF SUFFICIENCY SPELLS SURVIVAL AT CHISHILLWAYS AND BRECKNEY


Farming in the magnificent county of Northumberland is not easy, and so Paul and Ann Harrison have settled on a


policy of keeping two breeds that suit their farm conditions, as Sarah Liddle discovered


P


aul and Ann Harrison run the 100 cow Chishillways herd at Heddon on the Wall in the Tynevalley just off the A68 from Newcastle to Hexham. Paul is a renowned judge of both Holsteins and Dairy Shorthorns, having judged events such as the 2008 Royal Highland Show Holstein classes and being the Shorthorn Judge at the first National All Breeds Calf Show in 2004. Ann is now often the voice, alongside Sheila Eggleston, at Eggs-Port where she works part time while their teenage daughters Joanna and Victoria are frequently nearby; in the show ring, on the horses or helping at home on a family farm that thrives from a genuine desire to work with animals and make the best of them. It was therefore interesting spending a few hours finding how the herd has evolved and how Chishillways Holsteins and Breckney Shorthorns came about. Paul has always wanted to farm and was encouraged by his parents Ken and Lillian who started farming themselves at Chishillways Farm (hence the Holstein prefix) in 1956, on a 40 acre tenanted farm further north in the Tyne Valley.


TOP Breckney Goldie EX93 is a Rubens daughter who has four lactations over 11,000 kg.


ABOVE Lemington Radical Tamora EX91-4E has bred sons by Allen and Lheros which have both been used at Chishillways.


26 THE JOURNAL OCTOBER 2010


Paul’s father Ken had always wanted to farm but was discouraged, instead qualifying as an accountant in his early years before rebelling and opting to go into dairying. Ken worked for Mr Spearman of the Hedonsteads herd (a well known Northumberland herd in the 1950’s which established itself on many Hunday and Dalton bloodlines before being sold in 1963). The Chishillways herd was itself then built on many of the older and problematic cows from Hedonsteads herd, which Ken was willing to nurture and develop cow families from. Cow families such as the Roma’s, Jubilant’s and indeed


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