The Farm

Nafferton Farm, near Stocksfield, is the main base for Newcastle University’s Farming activities in the Tyne Valley. The home farm consists of 725 acres of land adjacent to the A69 road, some 12 miles west of Newcastle upon Tyne

The farm is rented from Allendale Estates and is run as a mixed farming system. There is a herd of about 180 Friesian dairy cows which produces just over 1m litres of milk per year and around 100 beef cattle. The arable land is used to grow wheat, barley and oilseed rape, as well as vegetables and potatoes.

The farm is used by the University for research work undertaken by the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering – especially in the area of organic production and environmental studies – and as a demonstration facility for the students.

Below is a map of the Nafferton Farm steading :

The farm has undergone considerable change over the last 5 years. The land at Nafferton Farm has been divided into two halves with the Eastern half (about 350 acres) put into organic conversion in three annual tranches, the last of which became certified as fully organic status on 1 April, 2005. The objective of this split is to provide farming systems comparison between organic and conventional husbandry on the same farm. The dairy herd has also been split with half of the herd undergoing organic conversion during 2005/06. To facilitate the milking of the split herd a new milking parlour, and additional housing were installed in 2003/4.

To find out more about Nafferton Farm, view the history page.