How we rear our livestock
It has been said that a farm without livestock has no life. We believe that despite the shiny machinery taking all the glory, it is the livestock that brings life to our farm.
Grass is at the Heart for the farm, we love it and so do the animals. To help you understand why our Grass fed beef is so special we have written this to help explain the story behind the produce you see in the farm shop.
Grass Fed and Finished
Grass is not just grass. It has many names, permanent pasture, old meadows, chalk grasslands, rotational leys, species rich or even hospital fields, grass is far more than just being green. Grass fed is the most natural way to rear animals and we believe it produces the tastiest and healthiest produced. Our native breed Aberdeen Angus graze in herds and enjoy a diet of species rich pastures. Such pastures tend to be lower in energy but rich in nutrients compared to commercial grass leys and allow animals to mature slowly and develop that fantastic flavour and marbling we love.
We believe our Aberdeen Angus are an integral part of our rural landscape and allows us to use sustainable farming practices across our whole farm. FarmYard Manure (FYM) is a wonderful bio-product of our Aberdeen Angus and is spread in rotation across the farm to maintain nutrient levels, increase carbon content and most importantly maintain healthy levels of biological activity in our soils e.g worms, bacteria and fungi.
While our sheep can remain outside the whole year, our cattle will move inside for the winter, for both their health and the health of our soils. Despite the free draining nature of our soils, cattle can cause damage to the soil structure by “pouching” the ground, causing a negative effect on next year’s grass growth. The cattle remain on a grass fed diet through the winter in the form of silage and hay which has been made from surplus grass through the summer months. Watching our cattle graze during the summer months in such beautiful locations is a welcome break from what can be a stressful time of year. We consider ourselves lucky to farm this area we call home.
Our slowly reared beef takes longer to mature, usually 24-28 months but it’s always worth the wait. Aberdeen Angus is a native bread and has naturally marbled meat making it exceptionally tender and once hung for a minimum of 28 days it has a real depth of flavour. We use a specialist butcher so we can ensure you get the best cuts.
