Country Shows evoke the very best of the countryside; a chance for the rural community to unite and celebrate in the rich tapestry that is country life.  From showing their prime farm animals, to exhibiting their champion runner beans, each year, you’ll find farmers, gardeners and rural folk alike, descending on the country show. Whether you are a serious competitor or simply an eager onlooker, these country shows are a real joy to be involved in. 

To really get behind the scenes at one of these country shows, we visited the Yorkshire Dales to follow one particular family, showing their native breed of Swaledale sheep at Malham Show. Let’s find out more about the Newhouse family and their farm, and of course, their local country show.  

Finding their Feet: First-Generation Farmers 

James Newhouse is a first-generation farmer, who, with his wife Amy and two children Elkie and Ned, runs Meg’s Farm near Settle in the Yorkshire Dales. Meg’s Farm is a hill farm with Belted Galloway cattle and Swaledale and Herdwick sheep. James says, “Our animals spend their entire lives outside, making them completely free range and nature-friendly.”  

The farming ethos at Meg’s Farm is to work in harmony with nature and not against it. Their animals are completely pasture fed – which means they are fed on a diet of 100% pasture feed, so diverse grasses, herbs and other plants in the Dales landscape – whilst they have also planted lots of trees and hedges to provide forage and natural shelter. James notes, “We spilt our land up with a rotational grazing system, which works for us, the animals, the wildlife and importantly the soil.” 

On the farm, James wears our classic leather-lined Chasseur whilst Amy wears our Vierzonord style both in Iconic Green.

Meg’s Farm sits at around a-thousand-feet-above-sea-level, and it’s rough ground, so this means the Newhouses need to farm hardy hill breeds to make the most of the rough grazing they get year-round. That’s why James and Amy farm local, hardy breeds like the Swaledale and Herdwick that are designed to thrive outdoors. Amy says that the most challenging time in their farming calendar is peak summer when they need to ensure their animals have enough shade and water.  

Malham Show: Exhibiting Country Life

The Dales have a number of brilliant country shows and Malham Show is one of them. James notes, “Our animals are not designed for showing but for producing healthy hardy offspring on the hill. We do however pick our favourite sheep every year and get them ready for showing. This is something my grandad did 50 years ago (with more success!) but it’s a great time to meet fellow farmers and discuss how the year has gone so far.” 
 
When exhibiting animals at a country show preparation is key. You’ll find that each farmer will spend hours, days, even weeks before a show making their animals look as beautiful as they can be on show day. To prepare for the Malham Show, the Newhouses spent time on their show animals, darkening the wool and brightening the legs and head, all to catch the judge's eye. Elkie and Ned, James and Amy’s children, have taken a keen interest in the show. “It’s made us very proud as parents seeing your children get involved in the show. They are helping prepare the sheep, whilst they are also getting involved in the ‘Young Handler Class’, which is always well supported.” 

Autumn Farming: Seasonal Jobs 

This time of year James and Amy focus on making their sheep look as good as they can be for the autumn sales. “We sell breeding sheep, so lots of our time is spent ensuring they are healthy and ready for the prospective buyers. This means spending time in the fields carrying out all the maintenance jobs ready for winter and ensuring we have everything in place to keep the cows and sheep well fed over the winter months.” 

Get Involved: Support Your Local Farmer

The Newhouses sell their beef which is certified 100% pasture-fed, whilst they also sell their sheep as hogget (1–2-year-old sheep) which gives more flavour to the meat. Where do they sell it? Well, their produce is sold direct to their local community and through their Instagram through a box scheme, to a local restaurant (The Nettle in Settle, which is outstanding by the way) and through their new ‘Farmers Larder’ vending machine located at The Courtyard Dairy shop near Settle. The vending machine is owned as part of a co-operative with five other farmers, allowing them all to sell their produce directly and share the workload and costs.  

Founded for agriculturists in 1927, Le Chameau has been championing farmers and those alike who have a deep connection with the land, animals and the wider rural environment for nearly 100 years. Discover more about our Seasonal On-Farm features here.