A TRADITIONAL hill farm which also runs a successful milk sheep co-operative will host North Sheep 2009 next month.

More than 6,000 farmers are expected to flock to John and Christine Stott’s Laund Farm in Chipping, near Preston, Lancashire, on Wednesday, June 3.

The couple farm 500 acres of Less Favoured land with their son, Simon, and his wife, Rachel.

Rising to more than 650ft, it supports 500 Swaledale ewes, 120 Beulah ewes, 50 pedigree Bluefaced Leicesters, a 400-ewe Friesland flock, 30 suckler cows and 20 pedigree Simmental cows.

Mr Stott’s late father introduced the Bluefaced Leicester to Lancashire and started breeding the Mule, whose gimmer lambs today supply half the farm’s income.

Mr Stott is a founder member and former chairman of the breed society and is its newly-elected president.

Mr Stott, junior, joined the business in the late Nineties and the family diversified into milk sheep to boost income.

Today they milk 400 sheep, which yield an average 650 litres per 10.5 month lactation.

In 2004, the family launched Sheep Milk UK, a co-operative of six who expect to produce 600,000 litres this year. They supply 8,000 litres a week to a number of dairies with 95 per cent made into cheese.

The Stotts are keen to expand the co-operative to increase milk output and introduce new products.

■ North Sheep 2009 is organised by the Northern region of the National Sheep Association.