The Sandersons have been farmers at Skipton on Swale near Thirsk since before the Second World War. But two years ago the latest generation of the family branched out and opened Ashes Pet and Equine Crematorium, something that pet owners have found invaluable, as the following extracts from letters to the Sandersons show: “I’m sorry I was so upset, and thank you both for all your kindness over the past couple of weeks. You have done a great deal to make an unbearable situation better. I shall miss my pony dreadfully but in the end there was no choice” “I wish to express many thanks for all your help and kindness when we cremated our beloved pet. It was a very sad and difficult time for us, and your kindness was very much needed and very much appreciated” | "You have done a great deal to make an unbearable situation better. I shall miss my pony dreadfully but in the end there was no choice" | | Extract from a letter to Ashes Pet Crematorium |
David and his wife Gillian say their 560 acre farm on which they grow sugar beet, potatoes and cereal crops, and keep up to 5000 pigs, wasn’t making enough money, and they had to try something quite different. “We couldn’t see any positive signals from government or any other direction to encourage us to devote all our time, a hundred percent, to the farm in the future. We had to look to an alternative non-agricultural income source. “We’re still developing the business. We still have a long way to go, but things are looking much more hopeful than if we were just in agriculture” Their new venture is now doing better than the farm. It means they’re building up a sound business which they can pass on to their son Peter, who'd have otherwise had to find a job elsewhere. Latest figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (otherwise known as Defra) show that the amount of money farmers are now earning from non-agricultural business is reaching record levels – almost £24 million in the Yorkshire, Humber and north east region – while income from farming has fallen. The government gives grants to farmers looking to diversify, reasoning that it’ll keep the farmers on the land and sustain rural communities.  | | Filling barrels at Wold Top Brewery |
Like the Sandersons, farmers Tom Mellor and Derek Gray benefited from a Defra grant when they set up Wold Top Brewery in a converted 19th century granary at Hunmanby Grange near Filey. Mr Mellor says they haven’t looked back since starting two years ago. “I think it’s fairly obvious to anybody who’s been involved in the agricultural industry for quite a time that returns from traditional crops like wheat, barley and potatoes – commodity products – are going down, because it’s a global market. So in order to make good the loss of income we have to look for other things to do. It’s been hard work, a very steep learning curve, but we’re getting along quite nicely thank you” The brewery began by producing two bitters – Wold Top and Falling Stone – and has since introduced two seasonal beers, Miles Magic and Wold Gold. And the plans don't end there, as Tom explains: “The future is basically to consolidate and to develop different markets. We put beer into bottles as well and at the moment we’re looking at exporting some beer as well because there’s actually quite a growing market abroad – for British bottled beer - not just on the continent but in America as well, and also the Far East towards China and Japan. But that’s a long way off yet” For Tom Mellor, Derek Gray and the Sanderson family, their new ventures have given their farms long-term futures, which they might not otherwise have had. Mike Kemp | 
