A Cumbrian farm will host the return of the NSA North Sheep event next year, the National Sheep Association (NSA) has said.
The biennial event is to be hosted by John and Liz Peile and their family at Greystoke Castle Farm, Greystoke, Penrith, Cumbria.
NSA North Sheep is organised by NSA Northern Region, which manages activity in the counties of Cumbria, County Durham, Humberside, Lancashire, Northumberland and North and West Yorkshire.
The NSA said the event will be a “tremendous showcase of the UK sheep industry”. Hundreds of trade stands will be attendance alongside breed societies and individual breeders.
Seminars and demonstrations throughout the day aim to offer insights on new developments within the industry and advice from industry professionals.
NSA Northern Region chair, Ted Ogden, said: “NSA North Sheep is to return to Cumbria in 2025, and NSA Northern Region is pleased to announce that John and Liz Peile and family who farm at Greystoke Castle Farm are to be our hosts for this very exciting event.
“This hill farming operation comprises a dairy herd, beef cattle, a flock of hill sheep and self-replenishing lowland flock of Mule and Texel cross ewes making it a wonderful farm to visit, positioned nicely between The Lake District National Park and The Eden Valley, we are sure that visitors will find it a great venue where there will be an interesting array of seminars, workshops and trade stands to visit”
Greystoke Castle Estate
The Peile family farm sits on the Greystoke Castle Estate on the edge of the picturesque Greystoke village.
The entirety of the land is down to grass of which 700ac is good grazing or mowing pasture. A further 1,000ac of grazing and 500ac of rough grazing. All of which is in entry level or high level stewardship schemes.
The Peile Family took on farming Greystoke Castle Farm as contractors in 2013 and for eight years they farmed alongside the Howard family.
In 2022 the opportunity arose for the Peiles to take on the full tenancy for 20 years.
Since then, as part of their business, they have installed a new milking unit, milking 150 dairy cows. The milk is sold to First Milk and dairy young stock is sold at 20 months as big stores.
120 Limousin cross and Simmental cross suckler cows are put to Charolais and Limousin bulls with the calves being sold at around six months old as sucker calves.
In addition, there are 60 Luing cows living outside all year round. The Luings are bulled with the Simmental with the heifers sold for breeding and the remainder sold as store cattle.
beef cows calve in the spring with the dairy cows calving all year round.
The sheep enterprise is self-sufficient, only buying in breeding tups. The flock comprises of 300 Swaledale ewes, breeding replacement Swaledales and North of England Mules.
600 North of England mules are tupped by a Texel, the ewe lambs are kept as replacements or sold for breeding at local marts. In additional there are 400 texel ewes kept to breed prime lambs.
Speaking on behalf of the family, John Peile said: “We are delighted to be hosting NSA North Sheep and welcoming people from all areas of the sheep industry.
“We are looking forward to having the opportunity to share our passion for the environment and producing food sustainably.”
