That was some 25 years ago – now they have up to 300 buffalo and are one of just six herds of the animal in the country. As an adult, Andrew, has joined the family business, with dad Paul and mum Kate and was a finalist last year in the Northern Farmer Awards’ Young Farmer category. The Langthornes have carved out a niche market for their products which they sell from their farm shop at Crawford Grange in Northallerton.
” The Langthornes stopped with dairy farming from 2001 to concentrate on farming buffalo and also had to build their own abattoir as local and commercial ones couldn’t process the animal. They process around five buffalo a week and bring in animals from other herds as the gestation period is almost a year. That said, they are not the easiest animals to deal with. Mr Langthorne said: “Some people with 10 or 20, can’t manage them so we buy from there, and Holland.