The Story
Beef Shorthorn cattle, hay meadows, woodland, water, weather and the everyday work of farming in the Yorkshire Dales.
Moorhen is a working upland beef farm in Coverdale, near Leyburn. The farm is home to Beef Shorthorn cattle and a patchwork of grazing fields, hay meadows, hedgerows, dry-stone walls, woodland and water.
The work changes with the season: calving, moving cattle, repairing walls and fences, managing water, making hay and preparing for winter.
We keep Beef Shorthorn cattle, a hardy native breed well suited to an upland landscape. The herd grazes outdoors across much of the year, moving between fields as grass, ground conditions and weather allow. We are interested in farming that works with the character and limits of this place. The farm has moved away from manufactured fertiliser and uses cattle-led grazing, hay meadow management, hedgerow and woodland planting, and close observation of soil, water and wildlife.
Dan is a dales lad through and through. He has farmed in Bishopdale, New Zealand and Australia. He wasn’t sure if he would get the chance to farm himself. He began contracting from a young age. Dan is a big fan of cows and soil. Moorhen is his mum’s family farm; his uncle Tommy Hogg and grandad Bobby ran the farm until they sadly passed away. He spent summers with his granny in Coverdale, hearing stories of the land. He’s been helping his mum and dad run the farm, but started to put things in place and help manage a few years ago. Dan loves people, machinery and making hay.
Jo is a new entrant to farming. She’s from a working-class background and has never farmed anything before. She got into farm work as a teenager in the Yorkshire Moors and spent time helping her family. She milks cows at other farms and helps out at home. She loves hedgehogs, curlews and cows. Her full-time job is as an artist, and she is passionate about social change. Her mission is to create more access and opportunities for working-class people in green spaces. Jo loves film photography, hiking and creating installations in rural places all over the UK. She brings arts and educational experience teaching at universites across the UK.
Glen is a friendly border collie and pet who lives on the farm. He loves people, but loud bangs, cows and sheep...not so much. He is always willing to welcome guests.
They met when Jo was visiting family and photographing farmers for a charity calendar in Swaledale. Together they form a team that wants to make change happen
Seen at Moorhen this week!
A weekly record of the birds, wildflowers and other wildlife noticed around Moorhen Farm. These aren’t formal surveys—just observations from the fields, hedgerows, woodland and farmyard as the seasons change.
A year at Moorhen
Winter
Short days are shaped by feeding, checking cattle, winter weather and planning the year ahead. This is also when repairs, paperwork and indoor project development gather pace.
Spring
Calving, new growth and longer days bring a close watch on animals, grass and ground conditions. Birds return, woodland plants emerge and the farm begins to open for small pre-booked activities.
Summer
Grazing, water and haymaking dominate the farm. The meadows become places of work and rich seasonal observation, with wildflowers, insects and birdlife changing from week to week.
Autumn
Cattle are moved, winter forage is assessed and the farm prepares for colder weather. Harvest, orchard and seasonal gatherings mark the transition into the darker part of the year.
Moorhen is also the home of Roova Arts. The artistic programme sits separately but alongside from the realities of the farm rather than using the countryside as a backdrop. Events and projects are planned around livestock, seasonal labour, access and the capacity of the people who live and work here.
This relationship makes room for conversations about land, labour, class, food, ecology, belonging and who gets to make culture in rural places.