Greystones Farm
Eyes firmly fixed on
farming’s future
Chris Berry talks with new NFU North Riding &
County Durham chairman James Bainbridge
» » WHEN JAMES BAINBRIDGE
left school all he wanted, in
common with many others lads
who have grown up on farms,
was to get behind the wheel
of big machines. Today he still
retains that enthusiasm for
on-farm kit but he’s now also
helping steer the expanding
family business at Greystones
Farm in Seamer near Stokesley
and has recently settled into a
new driving seat as chairman
of the North Riding & County
Durham region of the NFU.
‘I’ve been involved with the
NFU since leaving the Young
Farmers,’ says James. ‘I wanted
to keep active and started at
branch meetings in Stokesley,
where I became chairman. I
think we’re in a fantastic industry
and I’m always interested in
making sure it says that way.’
While there is generally a call
for younger blood like James
to take up senior NFU roles he
understands why others may be
in a less opportune position than
he in terms of support at home.
‘I’m very fortunate that I have
my dad, uncle and cousin who
all work incredibly hard and can
take over what I leave behind
when attending events and
meetings. I fully understand
a lot of other young farmers
are as keen and enthusiastic
but don’t haven’t the time
or resources that I have
available.’
James also points to the
direction he was given by his
cousin Simon Dunn of Breck
House Enterprises who advised
him to study rather than simply
getting behind the wheel of a
tractor for the rest of his life.
‘I’d worked for Simon and it
was his words that set me on
my way. Being a young lad all
I really wanted was to drive
tractors around but he told me
I could do better than that and
to get myself off to college. It
was a big decision as I didn’t
feel it was going to be right at
the time but I now know what
others talk about when they say
some of the best years of their
lives were at college. I went to
Bishop Burton College, had a
brilliant time, learned far more
than I ever would have at home
and made friends for life. It was
an incredible experience and I
will always tell others to do the
same.’
84 Summer 2017 www.farmers-mart.co.uk
Brexit and glyphosate
restrictions are currently top of
James’ NFU-related agenda.
‘I really think Brexit will take
a great deal of sorting out. The
government will need pointing
in the right direction by the NFU
and many other organisations
because there is no blueprint
for leaving the single market.
What concerns me is that our
government might let in a lot of
foreign food imports produced
to a lower standard than ours.
We’re producing what I believe
is the best in the world. We need
to get that message out to the
public.’
‘Scaremongering over the use
of Roundup and glyphosate is
something that needs dealing
with. If I lost its use it would be
the equivalent of farming without
machinery. Using glyphosate is
a no-brainer. I just can’t see why
there is a move get it stopped.
That’s a subject that is particularly
close to my heart.’
James, his father David,
uncle Les and cousin Jonathan
farm 1500 acres and with most
of it being arable land it is not
difficult to see why he feels so
strongly.
‘We have 250 acres here
at Greystones but we farm
around 1500 acres overall
through renting or contract
farming on what amounts to
ten different holdings within 7
miles. Dad and my uncle set
up an agricultural contracting
business when I was at school
and as a number of their
customers have reached
retirement age we have started
farming their land for them.
That