Phil Heard
A farmer who is Dartmoor born and bred but enjoys just a touch of the wild west!
Born and raised on the fringes of northern Dartmoor, it is plain that the moors are embedded deep within farmer Phil Heard’s soul. It may sound poetic and whimsical but Dartmoor farmers aren’t known for their deep sense of romance, however you can feel his love for this wild and rugged land. ‘Even when it’s cold and wet (and it’s always colder and wetter here), I still love getting out on the moor. If I am stressed, Mandi my wife, tells me to get out on the horse. It’s so beautiful whatever the weather that I always come back feeling better.’
Phillip’s family bought the farm in the late 1950s and he has pretty much been working in the business since he left school. His stock now totals some 300 cattle and 1,200 ewes. The toughest of his animals, his Welsh black cows, spend their summers grazing the moors, whilst his Limousin X Friesian enjoy the easier lower pastures. He also has a few Charolais cattle. He breeds his own Scotch mule ewes and has around 700 Scotch Black Face sheep on the high moors. His herds are now up to full strength following the nightmare days of 2001 when foot and mouth swept through Devon’s farms.
‘It was a terrible time. It was like a waiting game. We were taken out because we were contagious. The stock on the hillside stayed up there but we lost most of the cattle and probably three quarters of the sheep.’
He explains that stock grazing freely on the moor, instinctively know where they are and stay within their ‘patch’ - it’s known as leering, or hefting but following foot and mouth, new stock did not have this in-built knowledge. ‘It takes a generation to re-heft, so it probably took about five to seven years before everything settled down again. That first summer after foot and mouth, the cattle were wandering off everywhere, we were always getting calls from our neighbours!’ However perseverance and patience eventually payed off and Phil, to his surprise and great delight, was named Beef Farmer of the Year in 2008 by Farmers’ Weekly, in recognition of his skill in breeding cattle most suitable for the demanding land he farms. He says it was a great honour and a great night out in London!
Phil and Mandi, unusually in this day and age, still often use horsepower when it comes to moving sheep and cattle. ‘Traditionally on Dartmoor farmers have always used horses. When quad bikes came along they tended to supersede the horses, but our land is particularly steep and rocky and not so suitable for bikes. So we've gone down the American west route and use Quarter Horses. They have a lovely temperament, they’re pretty agile and quiet without being ploddy. Plus the cattle are calm with the horses, they aren’t noisy like a bike.’
The couple’s passion for riding and use of working horses sparked the latest diversification on the farm - riding holidays. These have grown year on year, even featuring on television; the image of a Dartmoor cowboy obviously piquing the imagination of broadcast producers. Phil and Mandy take their guests out on a variety of Dartmoor trips, including three or five day cattle drives, with the option to camp out.
Staying with equines, Phil and Mandi also have a small herd of Shetland ponies grazing the commons and a few pure breed Dartmoor mares they keep off the moor. ‘There’s quite a good market for the Shetlands but not a great deal of demand for Dartmoors,’ says Phil.
‘You are never going to earn a fortune farming on Dartmoor - it’s about lifestyle and as such I’d never want to live anywhere else.’
Jane Honey