Cumbria farm faces TB shutdown despite winning organic funding

A farm in Tebay, Cumbria has been forced into another bovine‑TB shutdown even after the owner secured a spot in the government’s sustainable farming incentive.

Funding

The sustainable farming incentive opened last week and the farmer submitted an application while checking email on a laptop. The application was accepted, giving the farm a chance to become organic. Funding ran out after a few hours, leaving many neighbours in despair on WhatsApp and uncertain about their businesses. The farmer says more money is needed to support sustainable farming.

TB Shutdown

Since June the farm has been under a TB “shut‑down”, preventing sales of bullocks, bulls and breeding heifers. The wait for a new test was lengthened by the farmer’s son’s wedding and by the need to find a new vet after the previous vet stopped taking farm animals. One cow showed a 3 mm lump, classified as an “inconclusive reactor”, and was isolated for a retest in 60 days. While the cow is isolated the farm can only sell animals for slaughter.

Cow Incident

Before the new test the farmer spent a day moving 67 heavily‑in‑calf cows from the fells. One cow calved on a 1,200‑ft fell; the new vet ordered all cows back to the farm. The farmer and his son rescued the calf, placed it in a trailer and reunited it with the mother in the farm garden.

Context

Bovine TB can halt sales of breeding stock for months, hurting farm income. Government incentive schemes often fill quickly, leaving many smallholders without the promised support.