Enterprising single mum, Judi James, 55, from West Dorset, has been crowned winner of a national business award after she sold her home to develop a farming business that rears high-quality cattle in an ethical way.
The mum of two, has been crowned winner of the Vanarama Van Hero Award, which recognises small business owners who have changed the face of their industry.
In under a year Judi has established Riverside Young Beef, a company which rears beef from small dairy bulls; animals that are traditionally turned away by supermarkets as their small size means they are less profitable.
By finding a purpose for these animals, Judi ensures these cattle enjoy a longer life span, as they would usually be immediately shot at birth.
Judi explains: “For years now, I just haven’t been able to stand the waste or the cruelty to these bulls. The little guys are shot as soon as they’re born because they’re not considered commercially viable which breaks my heart
“I went to a dairy to collect some cattle a couple of years ago but I could only afford to take a few bull calves. Although they all looked like fairly strong, the farmer put a bullet in the rest of their heads. Although it sounds cruel, it’s important to understand that the farmer has no choice but to shoot these calves - as they don’t have the capacity to rear them on their farm for no return. But after this experience, I thought to myself there must be a better way than to let these calves go to waste and decided then that I wanted to do my part to help.”
Judi sold her house before buying her first ten acres of farmland to help get the business up and running.
Judi continues: “It was a huge sacrifice but I couldn’t be happier in the decision I made. I now make sure bulls are beyond veal age before they go for meat. Veal is up to eight months old, rose veal is then up to 12 months and I use them from that age forwards so that these animals have a good full year grazing on old meadows. It’s full of herbage so the grass is stunning for them to eat. It’s full of the most incredible wild flowers, butterflies and you could just bottle the smell, it’s beautiful.
“A lot of hay doesn’t smell like that anymore because farmers go for modern leys (high sugar varieties / selected species) instead of traditional grass meadows to get the animals fat. Good old fashioned English meadows are being ploughed and disappearing, so I needed to sell my home to buy the land required to make Riverside Young Beef a reality. My aim is to turn the clock back to how farming used to be.”
On winning the national Vanarama Van Hero Award, Judi says, “The Vanarama van is like my office - it tows my cattle trailer and it holds my feed for the calves and everything I need. To win a national award for my business feels very special and is a great way to mark my first year in business.”
Andy Alderson, Founder and CEO of Vanarama says, “White van men generally get a bit of bad press but with the economy on the up, largely down to the hard work, dedication and 'have a go' attitude of Britain's small and medium sized businesses, we think it's about time we laid this bad rep to rest.
“We would like to commend Judi on her deserved win of the Van Hero award.”
