Farm Smart: How James Rebanks is using data to protect a 600-year farming legacy

At Racyghill Farm in Cumbria, James Rebanks is proving that even a 600-year-old farming system can benefit from modern tools. By using a livestock farm management app, he is improving decision-making, simplifying compliance, and running a more efficient regenerative livestock business.

For James, farming is more than a business. It is a family inheritance shaped by centuries of hard work, stockmanship, and care for the land.

The farm supports around 400 Herdwick sheep and 50 Belted Galloway cattle. James manages them with a strong focus on soil health, biodiversity, and long-term resilience.

Why a livestock farm management app matters on a modern hill farm

James runs a regenerative grazing system in the Lake District. Over time, the farm has moved from 12 fields to more than 60 subdivided paddocks to support longer grass recovery and tighter grazing control.

He moves cattle twice a day using electric fencing or satellite collars. The system focuses on profit per acre rather than profit per animal.

This is also a farm with serious pedigree success. James holds the joint record for the highest-priced Belted Galloway bull at 20,000 guineas. His Herdwick tup Darwin sold for 5,500 guineas, which was a breed record at the time.

The challenge: good farming still needs great records

A regenerative livestock system still depends on practical admin. James needs to record treatments, movements, breeding data, calving information, weights, and inspection paperwork.

Before Herdwatch, the farm handled much of that work the way many farms still do. Records sat on paper, in spreadsheets, or in notebooks until someone needed them.

Movements stayed on paper and got entered later. Inspection paperwork often got pulled together the day before it was needed. As the grazing system became more advanced, James needed a tool that could keep up.

Using a livestock farm management app to improve decisions

James first came across Herdwatch after seeing Cammy Wilson from The Sheep Game using it. He had already been searching for a better system for several years, so when he saw it working in practice, he signed up.

Since then, Herdwatch has become part of how he runs the farm. He uses it for remedy treatments and purchases, calf registration, weight recording, breeding, movements, and farm paperwork.

Using a livestock farm management app allows James to record information in real time. That reduces paperwork and improves accuracy across the farm.

Instead of relying on memory or paper notes, the livestock farm management app keeps everything organised and accessible whenever it’s needed.

From sceptic to Herdi advocate

One of the biggest changes on the farm has come from Herdi, Herdwatch’s AI assistant. James moved from being cautious about AI to using it as one of the most powerful tools on the business.

He now uses Herdi for full farm costings, profitability comparisons, scenario planning, breeding decisions, succession planning, and wider analysis based on his own farm data.

That shift has changed the value of farm records. Instead of storing information only for compliance, James now uses that data to ask better questions and make better decisions.

Better data, better breeding, better business

Weight recording and treatment data now play a central role in how James selects animals. The farm’s move from loss-making to profitable livestock systems has depended on identifying underperforming animals and making clear breeding and culling decisions.

Herdwatch supports that process. James uses it to track calving assistance, treatment history, pedigree information, multi-generation performance, and selection criteria that directly affect profit.

That same information supports his pedigree sales. When breeding stock values are high, accurate records and clear animal history matter.

Stress-free compliance and real support

Herdwatch has also changed how inspection paperwork gets handled. As long as data goes in in real time, James can generate the necessary reports instantly.

During his time in Red Tractor, being able to print full inspection reports at the click of a button made a major difference.

James also values the support team. For him, being able to talk to a real person matters just as much as the software itself.

Protecting a landscape and a legacy

James’ work is about far more than records. He is restoring a landscape, running a viable business, and preparing the farm for the next generation.

Herdwatch helps him do that. It keeps the farm organised, gives him better data, and frees up time to focus on the land and the livestock.

You can read more real farmer stories on our farm case studies page.