Late Summer News from the Farm
It seems a long time since our last update at the beginning of lockdown – what a few months we have all had!
The day-to-day life on the farm has not altered, nor can it, but life outside the farm is still anything but normal. Like so many, our business has been knocked sideways and all we can do is adjust and tap into some true farming grit to fight on.
Very timely, I finished a book during lockdown I have wanted to read for some time – ‘In Praise of Slow’ by Carl Honorè. I have realised that so much of what we do on the farm and how we rear our Billies encapsulates the ethos of this book but at the expense of Jamie and I running ourselves ragged! As we will not compromise how we farm our land and rear our Billies we must try and find a way of slowing things down for ourselves……. I highly recommend the book!
What’s On At The Farm
Goat Keeping Courses and Bespoke Farm Stays
Although our pop-up suppers and butchery demos remain on hold (we thank you for your unwavering patience and support) we are back running our Goat Keeping courses and after a sell-out weekend earlier in the month we have launched our September dates.
Following a flurry of requests since the easing of lockdown, we have been hosting something a little more personal with Bespoke Experiences – from half and whole day to whole weekend experiences on the farm. These are tailored specifically to you – whether you would like to learn about Goat Keeping or simply fancy some time away from the norm – and as we are now able to offer you the opportunity to stay with us on the farm. You could be waking up to the sound of the Billies in the morning to top it all off!
An Update on our Sustainable Farming
We were recently part of 26 case studies the NFU put together showcasing at farm level just some of the simple things that can be done to set the industry on the right path. As consumers we also have a huge part to play; the only way to invoke change that will last is if that change is financially sustainable – after all farms are businesses.To achieve this, we all need to make a statement with what we buy and where from and this will be essential in the coming months and years when our Government negotiates new Trade Deals outside the EU. We have a moral obligation to demand that all food imported into this country meets the same standards as what is legally and morally demanded here, if we do not do this we are showing complete hypocrisy.
Conservation Grazing
Encouraging Natural Diversity
This summer has seen our Billies embarked on their first taste of Conservation Grazing – the aim of which is to encourage natural biodiversity – it is fair to say it has been a huge success!
The Billies are particularly useful as the area in question is quite scrubby and this is right up their street where cattle or sheep would turn their noses up! The Billies are bringing back a balance to the land by lessening the prevalence of vigorous plants that outcompete more ‘fragile’ species encouraging a greater diversity of plant species and niches. This has a positive ripple effect through to pollinators, invertebrates and birds; in addition to providing the Billies the nutrition they require to grow and produce a sustainable red meat.
