BACKGROUND Charlie Sutcliffe manages a herd of 82 purebred English Tetford Longhorns in the Lincolnshire Wolds, in England. He established the herd with his wife, Debbie, in 1993 when the breed was very much on the endangered list. The herd is reared at grass, with all animals bred with a specific purpose in mind: either for herd replacements, pedigree sales, or as commercial beef for the family’s butcher’s shop, Meridian Meats, in nearby Louth. CHALLENGES Since 2015, all heifers and bulls sold as pedigree breeding stock have been traded privately, with Charlie using online outlets and social media to advertise animals for sale. “Advertising online is easier and cheaper than travelling to markets, and reduces the herd’s exposure to outside sources of disease and infection,” Ch

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