[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″ custom_padding=”||0px|||”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-Sheep-1-1.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.3″]<\/p>\n
Like a proud parent…<\/strong><\/p>\n Meeting up with an successful ex-student, gives me the feeling, of what it must be like to be a proud parent, to think that you may have had, even the smallest part in who they have become, be it through teaching, or even just a kind word when they were feeling down.\u00a0\u00a0Because that\u2019s the thing, we are always having an impact on others<\/strong>, if we know it or not.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0Tom, is now 28 with a wife and 1 year old son \u2013 Archie.\u00a0He has built up his own flock, tenanted a farm and now is shepherd for the Overbury Estate.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0Tom himself has said that he has been lucky, but I think we make our own luck<\/strong>through being a decent human being, kind and considerate, but also by working hard and saying yes to opportunities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0Tom comes from a family of farmers, his parents and grandparents were farmers and this was passed onto him, \u2018farming is in your blood, it is quite hard to explain, it\u2019s just there<\/em><\/strong>\u2019.\u00a0\u00a0Toms grandfather installed the love of sheep, he would spend lambings and the summer holidays helping on the farm and his grandfather would give him a black \u2018pet lamb\u2019 every year \u2013 these started his first flock!\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.3″ custom_margin=”-31px|auto||auto||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.3″]<\/p>\n The farmer is a person with many attributes…\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Tom left school at 16, he couldn\u2019t wait to get out to work.\u00a0\u00a0On his gap year he went a helped a local shepherd, it was here the farmer told him he was \u2018no good\u2019 but instead of letting this knock his confidence, he has used these words to prove that farmer wrong \u2013 which he has done!\u00a0\u00a0Tom has spent time working on many farms, gaining valuable experience and knowledge, from lambing 5000 sheep in 4 weeks in Cumbria, to shearing in New Zealand, to going back to Coventry, where he worked with Adrian Hall, someone who had a big impact on him, someone who started on Council Farm and eventually bought his own.\u00a0\u00a0It was here that Tom bought and trained his first sheep dog, with the expert help of Adrian, a renowned dog trainer himself.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0\u2018We need to change the public perception that farming is about brawn over brain \u2013 but those making the money are using their brains\u2019.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0To be a farmer means you have to be a so many things; be a balanced\u00a0<\/strong>person, smart<\/strong>, adaptable<\/strong>, take on a job, be physically strong<\/strong>, mentally tough, be able to ride over the negative and be positive when things do go wrong.\u00a0\u00a0Willingness to learn from others<\/strong>is vital, to be able to bring something new back to the farm, is invaluable.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″ custom_padding=”1px|||||”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-Ranger-3.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-Sheep-7.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-Ranger-19.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.3″ custom_margin=”-29px|||||”]<\/p>\n Look for opportunties…<\/strong><\/p>\n Tom & Holly knew they wanted to have their own farm and took a risk and applied for an 89 acre Staffordshire Council Farm;\u00a0\u00a0they were awarded a 10-year tenancy.\u00a0\u00a0The 150 flock he had built up on rented land were moved to Staffordshire and this grew to 400.\u00a0<\/p>\n However Staffordshire Council decided to sell off 16 farms, Tom was offered compensation, which he took and during this time Holly saw the job at Overbury Estate<\/a>, and within days of receiving his CV Tom was down in Worcestershire for an interview, they moved onto the estate in July.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.3″]<\/p>\n Taking it back to basics…<\/strong><\/p>\n This is great opportunity for Tom to make his mark on the estate, to work alongside farms manager, Jake (Nuffield Scholar) who has been following rejuvenation farming practices, with the backing of the estate board, using old techniques with modern kit! Mixing wheat varieties to combat resistances, under-sowing barley with red clovers, to reduce field passes and to create new 3-year lay rotations, fixing nitrogen and for grazing the sheep. Yields are good and wildlife numbers are increasing around the estate.<\/p>\n The sheep play a part in the arable management, to graze SSSI<\/a> grasslands, and to follow the rotations around the farm.\u00a0\u00a0This is a new way of farming for Tom, but one he is excited about. He is tasked with improving scanning & lambing %, so he is bringing in Mule ewes and Texel X Charolais rams.<\/p>\n Grass is not suitable for rotational grazing, its growth is slow, so sheep are given the field, in the winter they are grazed on \u2018green fields\u2019\u00a0of vetch and rye or oats\u00a0and lambs graze turnips.\u00a0\u00a0There is quite a lot of stress on the grass as lambs, born in April, are not sold until the following\u00a0spring.\u00a0\u00a0Soil and water samples have been sent away,\u00a0to find out which minerals are lacking and then a specialised mineral bucket will be devised for the ewes and lambs.\u00a0\u00a0Lambing outside has its own issues, mainly with supplementary feeding, the ewes run to the feed, Tom is thinking a feed block with reduce this happening.\u00a0Tom aims to get back to basics \u2013 to get fit and healthy ewes that produce a fit and healthy lamb! Keeping good nutrition in-front of them will fight off any illness or disease and increase immunity. Routine vaccinations and the re-introduction of FootVax, along with Fecpak<\/a> worm count, and automated weighing mean there is a lot of data to be used for improving the stock and also to present to the board.\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-Ranger-17.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.3″ custom_margin=”-40px|||||”]<\/p>\n Team work makes the dream work… <\/strong><\/p>\n and Tom has a great team of dogs, who are settling in to the new system, of moving sheep along tracks aside open arable fields, to fields 2 miles from each other! They do have their work cut out, but with the loyalty I saw \u2013 they all take it in their stride.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0Does luck find us or do we make it?\u00a0\u00a0Whereas one person would have taken the words \u2018You are no good\u2019 and let them floor them, Tom has used them to make sure he IS good, and that he IS making his own luck!\u00a0<\/p>\n Do you see a challenge as a negative or do you see it as an opportunity? An opportunity to make changes, to improve, to push you out of the comfort zone, to grow?<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,1_3,1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-SheepDogs-18.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-SheepDogs-23.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_image src=”http:\/\/myruraltribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/TomChapman-SheepDogs-4.jpg” _builder_version=”4.0.3″][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.3″ custom_padding=”1px|||||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”4px” _builder_version=”4.0.3″ width=”20%” module_alignment=”center”][\/et_pb_divider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.3″ custom_margin=”-38px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”||14px|||”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.0.3″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.3″]<\/p>\n Check out my Rural Photography<\/a>\u00a0, or follow me on Instagram @my_rural_tribe<\/a> to keep up to date with my walks and thoughts!\u00a0<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider divider_weight=”4px” _builder_version=”4.0.3″ width=”20%” module_alignment=”center”][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.3″]<\/p>\n